A Walk In The Irish Rain
by Katerina Shinigami
Summary: After having disappeared for nearly 5 years, Heero Yuy has returned wanting to take up friendships where he left off. He is soon to discover, life goes on... and the direction it takes is not one he would have imagined. 1x2, see warnings inside
1. Chapter 1

Title: A Walk In The Irish Rain  
Author: Shi-chan  
Rating: PG-13  
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing does not belong to me. However the original characters within this work of fiction, as well as the plot and premise, do.  
Warnings: dialect driven characters, virile parturiency  
Summary: After the Wars ended, Heero Yuy set out on his own to acclimate himself to civilian life. What he forgot about acclimation is to include his friends in the process. Now he has returned to them, wanting to take up those friendships once more. However, life goes on... and sometimes the direction it takes is not what one would have imagined.

"Forever more I've stepped ashore

My sailing days are over, oh

Through time and tide and by your side

Together we'll grow old."

-- A Walk in the Irish Rain (folk song)

A Walk in the Irish Rain  
by Shi-chan

Rathfarnham,  
County of South Dublin,  
Republic of Ireland,  
ESUN  
A.C. 203

Late September

There was a child in the garden, Heero thought bemusedly, squatting down to meet bright blue eyes brimming with intelligence and cunning. "Well hello there..."

"His name's Pádraic," a soft, familiar voice said.

Heero stood up from his crouch, smiling in greeting at the petite woman making her way down the garden path. "Hello, Hilde."

"Heero," she nodded, returning the smile. "Pádraic, this is Mr. Heero. Mr. Heero's a good friend of Daddy's," she told the child, lifting him up to rest on her hip. "Finally visiting?" the dark haired former pilot questioned as she tried to settle the squirming toddler.

Heero nodded as the young boy smiled brightly at him, large blue eyes sparkling as he reached grubby little hands out that Heero might take him. "May I?"

"Go ahead, you've obviously made an impression," she replied, grinning a bit more broadly as she shifted to allow Heero the boy.

"Hello, Pádraic, and how old are you?" Heero asked, receiving three tiny fingers in response.

"He doesn't really speak yet. Sharp as a tack, he is, but well..." Hilde shrugged, not concerned. "He'll be four in the spring. Maybe by then he'll decide to stop giving us all the silent treatment, 'ey kiddo?" She grinned as she ruffled the boy's already mussed hair.

Heero nodded, a bit surprised that Duo's son wasn't an all out motor-mouth at such an age, but it wasn't unheard of. "You have a lovely child, Hil."

"Oh, he's not mine," the dark-haired girl replied, her grin returning a bit as Heero's eyes widened. "Wish that he were, but no, I just get to be auntie-god-mother and babysit the brat. Speaking of, it's nap time, kiddo."

Pádraic went back to her without complaint, tugging at her sleeve and point a slim little finger at the asian man. "I'm sure Mr. Heero will be around when you wake uo from your nap, rascal." She told the boy, ruffling his red-gold mop of hair as the boy pouted.

"I actually came here to visit Duo," Heero told her, indicating his carrybag sitting by the fence. "So, unless you or he kick me out, I don't mind sticking around and playing with him when his nap's over," he offered genially.

"Really?"

"I have the time, nothing else on my agenda," the man nodded, smiling at his friend's son. "Take your nap, Pádraic, and I'll play with you when you get up, okay?"

Vehemently nodding in response, the little boy pulled on Hilde's shirt as if saying 'nap now, play sooner'. Heero smirked to himself. Definitely Duo's child.

"Come on in then, and go ahead to the kitchen, yeah?" she offered, shoving the door aside with her hip. "I'll just put him down and be right back out to make us up a spot of tea."

---

"Thanks," he said, gratefully sipping the tea she place before him. They'd settled at the small kitchen table, papers and such pushed aside to make room for their cups and the plate of biscuits she'd brought out.

"It's good to see you again, Heero," Hilde sighed, settling into her own chair. "We've missed you. Duo's missed you."

Heero nodded, gazing into his tea as the cream swirled. "I wanted to get myself more collected, more adjusted before coming back into everyone's lives."

"He wouldn't have cared. Not one iota," she told him, pinning him with her dark eyes. She really had grown into a lovely woman; and it astounded him that, as close as he knew her and Duo to be, that they weren't married, that Pádraic wasn't their child.

"I would have cared..." he began quietly.

"Why are you here, Heero?"

"I came here to see Duo." Straight forward, to the point, honest.

"Why now? Why not-- Damn it, Heero," she sighed in frustration, long fingers running through her short dark hair.

"I'm sorry," the former Wing pilot offered. "I didn't mean to..." Mean to what? Write the others out of his life? To abandon them? "I didn't mean to neglect any of you. I tried to keep in touch." Meager, yes, an excuse, but no less true.

"Emails, rare calls, the even rarer postcard. You call that keeping in touch?" another sigh. She was doing that a lot. "Yet even when your travels brought you close, you never stopped by. And don't give me that you were 'trying to collect yourself' line. It's not good enough. He's your best friend, or at least I thought he was."

"He still is--"

"Best friends don't just disappear for 5 years, Heero! That's not how it works. Yes yes, I know, you kept in touch... barely." He could almost feel the frustration and irritation seeping off of her... She wasn't saying something she desperately wanted to. There was more to it than Heero's disappearing... Something was making her tense.

"Hilde, is something wrong?" Heero asked, brow furrowing.

"Not... wrong, per se," she offered.

Heero gave her a strong look.

"It's something Duo should tell you himself. I... It's not my place," she said somberly. "It's nothing _bad_, it's just..." Hilde spread her hands in helplessness before changing the subject. "Kieran, my husband, will be home soon. I should start dinner. You're more than welcome to stay..."

"Hilde, where's Duo?"

"Taking a nap, he'll be up in time for dinner," she said, clearing away the table. "Wufei and Sally are coming over tonight. They'll be glad to see you."

"Taking a nap?"

"Yes," the woman replied, a bit tersely. "Please Heero, don't try to get anything out of me. Talk to Duo when he wakes up. It's not my place. I will warn you though, say anything to upset him and I will rip your balls off and feed them to you with vinegar."

---

Heero was worried. Hilde had left him in the sitting room, suggesting he watch television while she made dinner, probably to have time to calm herself.

Pádraic had joined him not long after his 'banishment' from the kitchen and was playing quietly with letter blocks on the woven rag-rug in front of the television.

Where was the boy's mother? Hilde had mentioned her husband returning from work and Duo, yet had made no mention of the child's maternal figure. Could that be part of why Hilde insisted he speak to Duo?

What was it about Duo that Hilde was not willing to share? Was he sick? No, she said there was nothing wrong 'per se'. How could something be not quite wrong? Did she mean that 'wrong' was not the right word, yet another choice of phrase would be too revealing for her to utter?

There was nothing for him to do but wait and speak with the former Deathscythe pilot after his 'nap'.

Heero frowned. That was another odd thing: Duo napping in the afternoon; and Hilde acting like it was quite the normal occurrence. It didn't add up.

---

The sound of rustling, bare feet padding along carpet and hardwood. Duo, it seemed, was awake.

Heero looked at the clock to find the hour going on five.

"Heero?" Duo's familiar voice buzzed with sleepy disbelief.

"Duo," the other replied, standing and offering his friend a small smile. "How've you been?"

The brunet shook his head a little, as if to clear the cobwebs or dispel any chance of illusion before stepping closer and smiling. "Good. I've been good. How 'bout yourself?"

Heero continued to smile, noting that the other young man had apparently begun to pick up the accent of his chosen home. "Very well, thank you."

Duo was slightly shorter in stature than Heero himself had grown to be, though that in and of itself was far from tall. He wore loose jeans and a baggy faded t-shirt with some almost illegible slogan across its front. His hair had grown longer, still tied back in an -- albeit at the moment mussed -- braid.

"God, I've missed you, Heero," the other said vehemently. "I see you've met Pádraic."

"Yes," Heero nodded, giving the boy a soft smile. "He's a lovely child, Duo."

Duo practically glowed at the praise. "Thanks, he's my treasure."

Heero was about to begin asking questions when Hilde returned from her cooking spree.

"Oh good, you're awake. Wufei and Sally are on their way, and Kieran stopped in town to pick up some drinks and dessert," she told the braided man, looking him over. "Where are your socks? Haven't I told you, you'll get sick walking around barefoot! If you catch a chill--" Her mouth slammed shut on what she was about to say as she remembered their company. "Duo, go put socks on. Pádraic, come help auntie-Hilde set the table. Heero, could you make sure Duo doesn't come back out of his room until his feet are socked in non-skid slippers?"

"Mother-hen," Duo mouthed as he turned back toward the way he came. "Yes, ma'am."

"Don't you 'ma'am' me, Duo Maxwell," she huffed, swinging her 'nephew' up onto her hip. "Socks, the ones with the tread. Now!"

"She's such a worrywart," Duo chuckled as Heero followed him into his room. "Sometimes I think she might freak if I caught the hiccups during tea."

"Hm," Heero murmured, not quite sure how to respond. "Has she always been like that?"

"Hilde? Mostly... She's a born mom. She and Kieran should just have a kid and get it over with," he chuckled, sitting on the bed to pull on the treaded footies. "She spoils Pádraic terribly. Me too."

Heero's attempt to question the other man was once again interrupted as the door chime rang. "That'll be Wufei and Sally," Duo said with a grin before pointing down at his feet. "Socked and ready, am I free to go?"

"Certainly," the dark haired man replied, stepping aside to allow Duo to make for the door. "After you."

"Why thank you, good sir," Duo chuckled, padding off to let their friends in.

"They come by often?" Heero asked, following.

"Yeah, every Thursday night. Don't live too far from here, just a bit aways in the city," Duo confirmed. "They both took on jobs at the Dublin branch of Preventers. Worked out well since it's the UK head office." They reached the door, Duo unbolting the top lock before opening it wide.

Heero waited as the door swung open, waited for the wide eyes and shocked looks. He was not disappointed.

"Yuy! What in all that's Holy are you doing here?!" Wufei burst out, recovering from his shock first.

"Visiting?" Heero ventured with a shrug.

Onyx eyes narrowed. "Next to no word for almost five years and here, suddenly, you just appear! You selfish son of a--"

"Wufei!" Sally chided as Duo opened his mouth to remind the Chinese man that there was a child present.

"Inside the lot of you, it's only fourteen degrees outside!" Hilde hollered from the kitchen. "You're letting in a draft!" came as almost an after thought.

"How about we continue this not on my doorstep where the world can hear?" Duo offered, gesturing them inside. "Please, the lounge awaits."

"Watch your mouth. -This-," Sally continued, gesturing vaguely as they stepped inside, "is why we do not have children. By my ancestors, they would know every curse word in every language before they could say 'mama'!"

---

"So, tell us Heero, what have you been up to?" Sally asked as they sat about the lounge, awaiting Kieran's arrival to sit down to dinner. "It's been a while since your last postcard, we were starting to wonder if you'd dropped off the face of the planet and colonies."

"Mostly traveling," the former pilot of Wing revealed, taking a sip of his tea. "I did a study-abroad program that allowed me to travel to a different country every few months while working toward a degree in art history with a minor in metalworking. I finished out my masters shortly there after; and about a year ago, I started renting a house along St. Helena Sound in a little coastal town on America's Eastern Seaboard and got a job in a tiny coffee shop on the beach."

"Da--"

"Wufei."

"--rn, Yuy," the former Shenlong pilot shot a glare at his wife before continuing. "You've been in one place for that long and didn't bother to give any of us an address or any way of contacting you aside from email?"

"I didn't occur to me..."

"Didn't occur to you? You've got to be kidding me, of all the self-absorbed--"

"No one asked for it."

"If we had known you'd gotten a permanent address--"

"It wasn't permanent."

"Permanent enough."

The dark haired man shook his head. "It was a nice place and a learning experience in socializing, but not a place where I'd like to live for a long time. The people there... They didn't know anything of the war aside from what the censored media fed them. Their lives revolved around their small town and the outside world was just a story they heard about occasionally... As much as I was searching to be normal, to be a civilian... when you can't feel like you share a common bond..."

"You missed us?" Sally offered, smiling brightly.

"Yes, Sally, I missed you. All of you," Heero told them, eyes sweeping the group. "Your turn, Sally, what brought you and Wufei to Ireland?"

The blond woman paused, weighing her words. Heero wondered briefly if she knew what was going on with Duo, but put it down to paranoia. She was a Preventer, information was often classified and she was probably deciding what she was allowed to say... "We helped set up the Dublin branch of the Preventers and when we found out Duo was living here as well, we decided to stay on," she gave, and if she was lying he couldn't find it.

"It is a lovely country," Hilde said with a smile as she returned from the kitchen.

Duo chuckled, giving her a grin. "You only say that 'cause this is where you met Kieran. Lovely country indeed. Great tracts of land..."

Scowling, the petite woman swatted at him with the dish towel. "Hush you. Horrible creature. Why ever I put up with you, I'll never know!"

"'Cause the house is in my name?"

"Aye, but Kieran pays the mortgage..."

Heero frowned mildly. Why wasn't Duo paying his own mortgage? Was he ill? He seemed fine, aside from napping during the day, Heero thought. More than fine, really... The braided young man seemed to glow with happiness, the epitome of health...

"Got me there," Duo gave in. "Why -do- you put up with me?"

"'Cause yer good fer a few laughs," Kieran intoned in his richly accented voice, appearing in the kitchen doorway. "What with that face 'o yers, 'n all."

Duo gave Heero a conspiratorial grin, mouthing 'great tracts of land' behind a hand... only to get swatted again as Hilde went to greet her husband with a quick peck.

"Kieran, this is Heero Yuy. Heero, I'd like you to meet my husband, Kieran O'Donovan," Hilde smiled brightly.

Heero took noted of the man's appearance, noting most his kind eyes as they looked upon his friends. "Nice to meet ya, 'eero," a firm handshake.

"Kieran," the Japanese man nodded.

"Now that everyone's home," Hilde chimed. "Let's eat!"

TBC

Enunciation table:  
Pàdraic (PAW-drik/Pah-drik)  
Kieran (KEE-ran)


	2. Chapter 2

Title: A Walk In The Irish Rain  
Author: Shi-chan  
Archive: GWA (Willow), LJ (orewashinigami), 1x2ML, DHML  
Rating: PG-13  
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing does not belong to me. However the original characters within this work of fiction, as well as the plot and premise, do.  
Warnings: dialect driven characters, virile parturiency -- pertinent warning  
Thanks: I want to thank all those who preread for me at various times, there were a good number of you and I appreciate all your help.

Summary: After the Wars ended, Heero Yuy set out on his own to acclimate himself to civilian life. What he forgot about acclimation is to include his friends in the process. Now he has returned to them, wanting to take up those friendships once more. However, life goes on... and sometimes the direction it takes is not what one would have imagined.

"Forever more I've stepped ashore  
My sailing days are over, oh  
Through time and tide and by your side  
Together we'll grow old."  
-- A Walk in the Irish Rain (folk song)

A Walk in the Irish Rain  
Chapter 2  
by Shi-chan

Rathfarnham,  
County of South Dublin,  
Republic of Ireland,  
ESUN  
A.C. 203

Already the sun had set, the last few beams fading against the coming night. A promise of rain lingered in the air; humidity giving a slight chill to the delicate breeze, enough that Heero found himself shrugging on a light jacket to fend it off.

"So, 'eero," Kieran began as they stepped out onto the back patio as everyone else wrapped up dinner, beers in hand. "You a big war 'ero, like the rest o' them?"

"Hero, no," the former pilot returned with a shake of his head. Heroes died for their causes. The media called them heroes, called them villains, terrorists, victims... It was just another label society created. "Just another soldier."

"Aye, and me wife is just a queer bit o' skirt [1]," Kieran snorted, taking a heavy gulp of his beer. "What ye 'ere for, 'eero?"

"I came to visit Duo."

"From what 'ilde tells me, it's been quite a minute since de last time anyone's seen ye," the Irishman ran a hand through his coppery-brown hair. "Look, 'eero, can I speak frankly wit' ya?" The Irishman paused, a moment before plowing on. "You've got something wit' t'em I can never touch, the war an' all. The fightin', the soldierin'. But those t'ree, Duo, Pádraic an' me 'ilde-girl, they're ma family. I'm lookin' out fer them best I can. You come 'ere and muck t'ings up, can promise will be bad for ya. I trust ye ta do better by 'em then dat.

"Worst t'ing ye can do is come back inta their lives only ta vanish again," another gulp of beer.

Heero scowled, as much at the bitter taste of the beer as the bitter taste of Kieran's words. "I have no intention of 'vanishing' again."

"That's good ta hear. 'Cuz iffin' ye do, I'll hunt ya down and drag ya back 'ere so's they can have a go at ya. Soldier or no." Blue eyes flashed before mirth replaced the dangerous edge they held. "Anyway! 'Ow's 'bout tomorrow we grab a pint and get ta know each other? Say four-ish? So's we don't miss tea. I'm dyin' ta get to know the fella that Duo Maxwell holds in such 'igh regard."

The comment gave Heero pause, but he dismissed it with a shrug and a small smile at the warm feeling it gave him.

Tipping his glass back as they stepped back into the house, the redheaded man scowled briefly upon finding it empty. "Woman, beer!" he bellowed, before stalking up behind Hilde and picking her up by her waist.

"Neanderthal! Get your own beer, does this look like a pub to you?" Hilde scowled playfully. "Now skat! Out of the kitchen! Go keep Wufei company while I get these dishes out of the way."

"Where are Duo and Sally?" Heero asked as they walked into the living area. Taking a seat at one end of the sofa, Heero smiled as Pádraic clambered up into his lap. Toy cars raced up and down his arms as the boy made him part of the game.

"Weekly check up, nothing more," the Chinese man's tone forced, eyes sharp daggers that indicated his opinion was still that Heero was a selfish son of a bitch.

"Weekly? Is he ill?"

"Not ill, so don't worry yourself, Heero," answered Duo's voice from behind him as the two returned from the braided man's room. "Pádraic, sweetie, it's time for bed."

A horror-stricken pout crossed the boy's face at the dooming announcement of bed-time. Tiny arms wound themselves around Heero's neck and clung tight.

"Maybe Heero will tuck you in if you're a good boy and go ahead on to bed," Duo chuckled giving Heero a wink, brushing his son's unruly bangs from the boy's blue eyes. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Like a spring-release, the child was out of Heero's lap and off toward his room, glancing back frequently to see if 'Mr. Heero' was following. "You mind, Heero? He's really easy to settle to bed."

"No problem, Duo."

"Thanks man," Duo replied, smiling brightly before turning back to Wufei and Sally.

---

The tike was struggling into his pajamas when Heero entered.

The boy's day clothes had been flung hither and thither about the room in complete disregard for the wicker hamper in the corner. The Japanese man smiled as dark blond hair finally managed to pop through the neck of the sleep shirt, sending the already disobedient locks into total disarray.

Without a thought Heero knelt, tugging the shirt down into place.

He was struck speechless for a moment as large blue eyes focused on him, wide and bright with intelligence. A brilliant smile cracked the boy's face before tiny arms were once again flung about Heero's neck, keeping tight.

"Rascal," the former pilot murmured affectionately before sweeping the boy up and swinging him about. "I got you!" He proclaimed as his captive broke out in giggles. "Shall I tickle you into submission or will you go willingly?" Heero asked as he plopped the wriggling bundle of child down on the bed.

Apparently easily defeated by the threat of being tickled, Pádraic scrambled to put himself beneath the covers before reaching over to swipe a book from the bedside table. Deep imploring eyes stared up at him as the tot held out his worn copy.

"The Prince and the Fairy King?" A firm nod and a broad smile answered him. "Alright... In the beginning the world was a different place..." [1]

---

"I see you got him to sleep with no problem," Duo said, watching Heero as he sat on the edge of Pádraic's bed stroking the boy's hair.

"He's a wonderful child, Duo. You've done well," the darker haired man offered, carefully extracting himself from the boy's bed. "The others left?" he asked, having heard the front door a short bit ago.

Duo nodded, "Wufei and Sally needed to get back, and Hilde and Kieran decided to retire. So it's just you and me, buddy. Burning the midnight oil."

"Duo, it's only eight..."

"So it is," Duo agreed, "Care talk over tea? I know I'm burning with questions, so I'm sure you have a few of your own..."

---

They found themselves in the lounge with their cups warming their hands. The silence lingered around the edge of awkwardness but holding more the feeling of settling in, a prelude to conversation.

"Where've you been? No, scratch that... what took you so long to decide to visit?"

"I needed time," Heero answered honestly. "Time to figure myself out, time to figure out if I could handle being around constant reminders of the wars... then I figured out that I was my own constant reminder, that everyone and everything reminded me of the war, what we fought for, and those I fought with... So I came..."

"Fair enough," Duo nodded. "I did the same thing... just didn't take as long. I think being alone reminded me of worse things..."

Questions clambered in Heero's head, questions about Pádraic's mother, questions about Duo's past, about what was not-quite-wrong with the braided man, about why Kieran was paying the mortgage on Duo's house... so many questions.

"Where's Pádraic's mother?" Heero asked after a few sips, leaning back into the sofa cushions across from where Duo sat in an overstuffed chair. It was the question that had been buzzing most in his head since this afternoon when he'd walked up to the house and discovered a child in the garden.

"He doesn't have one," the braided man replied, taking a long sip from his steaming mug.

"He's a war orphan?" With eyes so much like Duo's, it was almost a silly question to ask... Heero was 99.95% certain that Duo was the boy's biological father.

"No, nothing like that... he's mine. Thought it was pretty obvious, that," Duo chuckled self-depreciatively, eyes not leaving the mug or the swirling liquid inside.

"I'm not sure I understand," Heero frowned, trying to keep his voice friendly as the conversation began to feel like an interrogation. "He doesn't have a mother, but it's not because he was adopted... Did she die? Did she leave?" Heero's brows were furrowed as the other's cool began to break, fingers fidgeting along the rim of the mug. "Don't hedge, Duo. I'm your friend... You can tell me."

The braided man gave a rude snort, setting his tea down carefully before leveling his gaze on the Japanese man. "The answer to your question is more than a little complicated. Promise me that you'll hear me out completely?"

The former Wing pilot nodded, setting his own tea on the table between them.

"You've got to promise me, Heero. Friend or no, this might be a little much to swallow. Promise me you'll hear me out in full and think on what I say before you make any judgments."

The request did not bode well with the former-Wing pilot. Perhaps he had been mistaken in asking this question first. But if he wanted answers... "I promise you, Duo Maxwell, to hear you out in full, to let you speak to your heart's content."

"Funny. Cheeky bastard, who knew? Heero Yuy, a sense of humor!" Duo laughed briefly, smiling and relaxing a bit. "A sense of humor is good. Fate sure has one... Did you know I had a huge crush on you during the wars?"

The former pilot shook his head, caught unawares by the revelation, and its mode of delivery. Certainly he'd known of Relena's almost obsessive interest in him, but the fact that Duo too had feelings for him -- still did? More research was needed -- had eluded him. He'd always known the other boy was good a hiding...

"Don't get weird on me, Yuy."

Heero smirked to show the other his sincerity. "Do you see me getting weird?" he cast back.

"I dunno, man, you seemed like an odd cookie before... and with all this smiling and talking... you sure you're not getting weird?" the braided man chuckled, hands moving toward the cup only to stop and resettle in an attempt to quell his nervous actions. "Seriously though... Always figured didn't matter, if you could ignore the Queen of the World, then little ol' me didn't stand a chance."

"Where's this going, Duo?" Heero sighed, not seeing the point of this confession. "What does this have to do with Pádraic's mother?"

"It has everything to do with Pádraic's 'mother', Heero," Duo sighed, beginning his tale. "A few years ago I came across two things... one was a research organization studying alternate means for procreation. Artificial wombs, specialty surrogate, and such -- lab bound or human carried. They specialized in research that would allow homosexual couples or individuals to have children.

"The second, and this is where I have to ask you to remember your promise, Heero... The second was that a donation had been made to the company under your name," Duo paused to allow Heero a moment.

Heero frowned. A donation under his name? Before he'd gone venturing, Relena had convinced him to donate to a sperm bank for a charity event... He'd thought it odd at the time, but the woman had always been able to convince him of just about anything -- except for convincing him he was in love with her. "Continue..." he suggested, trying not to grunt as his mind began piecing things together.

"I'm a selfish bastard, Heero -- worse than you could ever be for running off. When I saw your name on the list of donators Relena gave me, I volunteered to be part of the research. I gave them one condition, that the rest of the donation was set aside and only I was allowed to access it. I moved to Rathfarnham to be close to the facilities in Dublin. The procedure was experimental, potentially dangerous, but..." Duo paused, one hand gesticulating weakly.

"Pádraic?"

The braided man bit his lip and nodded. "Pádraic was the successful result."

There was a long moment where neither spoke. Heero taking it in. Duo staring into his tea, fingers once again fidgeting with the rim.

The braided man's voice was a near whisper when last he spoke. "I should have told you... You had a right to know," he said, taking a calming breath. "It's no excuse, really. But at the time I was so wrapped up in it all; trying to convince them to set aside the rest of the sample, the physicals, the surgeries, the tests, the whole process... Before I realised it, it was over and I'd had him... and I had no idea how to tell you..."

The braided man let out a small, strained chuckle. "I didn't think you'd like too much to receive an email while in Sri Lanka that read 'Yo buddy! By the way, you're a father, congrats! Stop in sometime to see yer kid'..."

For a few seconds Heero just stared, tight lipped and silent as he ever had been during the war. The words rang in his ears, deafening in their resound.

It took a moment for realisation to set in. He was a father... A -father-. A father with his best friend. He was a father with his -male- best friend. Four years old in the spring... and he was just now finding out.

The moment seemed to break as Heero let out the breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. He gave his cup a bewildered frown before leaning back and running a hand through his hair. "I'm a father," he repeated, staring up at the ceiling. "Alright. Well..." Another large sigh. "I can't very well get mad at you-- no, I take that back. I could, but I won't. What's done is done, there's certainly no taking it back. I know how much you wanted a child... Although I always figured you'd adopt when you were ready. It's just a damned lot to take in..." Deep prussian eyes locked on violet-blue. "A father?"

Duo offered him a helpless shrug. "I said I was selfish. I couldn't allow just any guy access to Heero Yuy's genetic sampling," Duo smiled wryly. "Besides...Having Pádraic was like getting to have a little bit of you around..."

Limpid eyes met with his across the space in between, "I really missed you, Heero."

---

The guest room was quiet.

Duo had gone to bed after promising they would talk more later, giving Heero time to think about what the other had revealed. 'A lot to take in' was an understatement, Heero decided.

He'd never figured he'd be a father. Or at least that, if by some chance his sample was chosen, that he'd never find out, what with it being an anonymous donation and all -- but it hadn't been anonymous, had it? And Relena had given the list to Duo... had she known of the braided man's crush?

He'd call her in the morning, get her side of things.

"Mrow..." The sound, followed by the jingle of a tiny bell, nearly startled Heero out of his recline. The next instant found the former Wing pilot with a purring feline upon his chest, large green eyes staring into his face.

"Well hello there..." he greeted the furry creature, lifting the brass plate that hung beside the bell on its collar. "Abigail. Going to keep me company while I ponder?" The dark haired man chuckled as the beast nestled down on his chest, purring contentedly. "Guess that's an affirmative."

Stroking the soft fur, Heero restarted his mental list.

First, Duo had had a crush on him during the Wars. Did the Deathscythe pilot still harbor feelings for the Wing's pilot? If so, how strong were they?

The ex-soldier had the feeling he could already answer at least part of that question. The way Duo looked at him, the way he spoke of him... No, he didn't need to research that further to know Duo Maxwell still had a 'crush' on him. Though he was pretty sure 'crush' was another one of tonight's understatements.

Second, the braided man had a child. Scratch that, -they- had a child. He, Heero Yuy, and his once-and-hopefully-still-best-friend, Duo Maxwell, had a child. Together. He was a father... A father!

That brought about a different issue. Would Duo want him to be a part of Pádraic's life? If he were in Duo's place, he knew he'd be leery of allowing someone, who'd disappeared for years, back into his own life, let alone that of his child... Despite the fact that Pádraic was, genetically, as much his as he was Duo's, the braided man was the boy's parent.

If Duo did allow him to be a part of Pádraic's life, what role would he be allowed to play? What role did he want to play? Would Duo want the boy to know that he, Heero Yuy, was his father? Or would it be best if the child knew him only as a doting uncle? Would he be satisfied with that role? What would happen if the boy ever found out? If they decided on the father role, what would that entail? What would Duo want it to entail? Hell, what did he want it to entail?

The first and second points were intrinsically tied to one another and generated the third: What did he feel about the situation? What did he feel about the idea of being a father? And lastly, while Duo obviously had feelings for him, how he himself feel for the braided man?

"What do you think, Abby?" he asked the cat, who merely cracked open an eye as if to say 'what are you asking me for?' before shutting it once more.

"I'm a father..." he murmured aloud, still a little gob-smacked. The more he said it, thought it, the more the idea sparked a warmth, almost an excitement, in him. He didn't think he could just sit back and not take part in his son's life... Not now that he knew...

Which brought him back to Duo.

This would take some time...

TBC

Enunciation table:  
Pàdraic (PAW-drik/Pah-drik)  
Kieran (KEE-ran)

Footnotes:  
[1] Queer bit o' skirt - an attractive girl.  
[2] The Prince and the Fairy King is a fanfiction by Neptunesdemon, used WITH permission. The fanfic can be found at FF net/s/1997863/1/The_Prince_and_the_Fairy_King I strongly encourage you to read it, as it's a lovely fic!


	3. Chapter 3

Title: A Walk In The Irish Rain  
Author: Shi-chan  
Archive: GWA (Willow)  
Rating: PG-13  
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing does not belong to me. However the original characters within this work of fiction, as well as the plot and premise, do.  
Warnings: dialect driven characters, virile parturiency  
Thanks: I want to thank all those who preread for me at various times, there were a good number of you and I appreciate all your help.

Summary: After the Wars ended, Heero Yuy set out on his own to acclimate himself to civilian life. What he forgot about acclimation is to include his friends in the process. Now he has returned to them, wanting to take up those friendships once more. However, life goes on... and sometimes the direction it takes is not what one would have imagined.

_"Forever more I've stepped ashore  
My sailing days are over, oh  
Through time and tide and by your side  
Together we'll grow old."_  
-- A Walk in the Irish Rain (folk song)

-

A Walk in the Irish Rain  
Chapter 3  
by Shi-chan

-

Rathfarnham,  
County of South Dublin,  
Republic of Ireland,  
ESUN  
A.C. 203

-

Morning dawned in subdued brightness. The disbursed light filtering in through the gauzy drapes lending a lazy air to the day.

Even Heero Yuy wasn't immune to the warmth that cocooned him on such a day, lingering in bed long past the time he would normally arise. If anyone asked, he'd blame jet lag.

A piteous mew finally dragged him from his nest of blankets to allow the feline out of his room. "I thought cats were supposed to be lazy animals," he muttered to himself, running a hand through unruly hair.

Once he'd swiped a cup of tea from the kitchen and had a nice long shower, Heero felt more willing to face the day. First order of business... phone Relena.

He found Hilde in the kitchen making oats. "Good morning, Hilde."

"Heero," the woman acknowledged.

"Might I use your terminal?" He asked, refilling his cup.

"Go right ahead," she returned, shooing him out of the kitchen -- apparently mornings were her alone time and she wanted to get as much of it as possible in before Pádraic and Duo woke.

Fresh cup of tea in hand, the former pilot settled himself before the antiquated terminal, taking a small moment before entering a collect call to the Vice Foreign Minister's direct line.

"Heero," the young blonde woman answered with a bright smile. "What can I do for you this morning? I'm guessing this is not a social call since you dialed collect."

"Maybe I just didn't want the bill to go to my hosts?"

"Considerate of you," she mused. "How have you been, Heero?"

"I'm well as can be," he replied vaguely. "Yourself?"

Her blonde hair shook as she gave a small laugh. "I'm still adjusting to this more verbal Heero Yuy. To think you once wouldn't have bothered with cordiality let alone a clever comeback..." her smile softened, smoothing out into something settled, content. "I'm doing splendid. I think Gregory is planning to propose any day now, but don't tell him I know," she winked.

"I'm glad to hear things are going well. If anyone deserves happiness, it's you..."

"Pish-tosh! I'm supposed to be giving you that line, Mr. Hero, not the other way around!" She chided, teasingly. "You guys deserve happiness more than anyone else on the planet and colonies."

"Whatever you say, Your Highness," he acquiesced, using the pet name he knew Duo enjoyed annoying her with. Even before anyone knew she was royalty, the braided boy had dubbed their blonde dove with the title.

"It really is good to hear from you, Heero. But you don't typically make social calls this early in the morning," she said soberly. "Something's on your mind."

"I always said you'd make a great politician... or a great shrink. You read even me too well," he told her, giving a small smile.

"You were the subject of my childish school girl obsession for quite some time," Relena quipped, playfully mocking herself. "If anyone should be able to read you, it would be me."

"Indeed," Heero conceded. "You're right, though. As nice as it is to speak to you, I have ulterior motives. I was wondering if you'd heard from Duo lately?"

"We keep in touch pretty regularly," she smiled. "In fact, I'm planning to visit him come spring."

"For Pádraic's birthday?" He asked pointedly watching as her blue eyes widened and her face paled slightly. Her expression however remained unchanged, unfazed by the subject as she replied.

"Yes, for Pádraic's birthday."

"Relena," Heero sighed.

"I didn't mean to deceive you, Heero. It's just..." she stopped herself and shook her head. "You have no idea how hard it was after you left. How he seemed to dim before our eyes.

"When he told me he wanted a child--You must know we've become great friends in your absence, Heero, even before you physically disappeared. When he told me he wanted a child, I orchestrated things so that he could have something of you. All he had to do was reach out and take it.

"It took a bit of finagling... some well concealed organizing and planting, but... Even you must see how happy he is now?"

"Relena, please. It's alright," he told her once she stopped to take a breath. "You don't have to defend your actions, least of all to me. I know you only had his best interests at heart. I was merely confirming my suspicions about how things came to pass."

"I'm guessing you're there now?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes..."

"You know he loves you right?"

There was a lengthy pause before finally Heero spoke, "Yes..."

"Heero..."

"I don't know yet," he confessed. "I've only been here a day. I just found out last night that my best friend is in love with me and that he and I have a 3 year old son...

"Worse yet: They're... defensive and yet not... It's like they want to welcome me, want me to be part of their 'family' again; and yet are holding themselves back. Hell, Wufei almost tore my head off when he saw me; and Kieran gave me the 'hurt my family and you'll pay' bit. Hilde threatened to cut off my balls and feed them to me with vinegar if I so much as upset Duo..." Heero let out a blustery sigh, scrubbing his face with his hands to refrain from pulling at his already messy hair.

The blonde woman seemed to relax then before smiling at him placatingly.

"Happens when the fire that burned returns to the hearth," Relena soothed. "They don't want you to get too close until you prove you're not going to up and leave again..." Among other things, Heero thought. It seemed Relena was as up on what was going on with Duo as the rest were. And if he knew Relena, no amount of baiting would get her to bite and confess what she knew. The Japanese man was also beginning to get the feeling that he was the only one out of the loop.

---

From there the conversation turned to more inane everyday subjects before they each said their goodbyes and promised to talk again soon.

After they disconnected, Heero sat back in his chair, scrubbing his face with his hands for a moment before sitting forward again. Next on the agenda: breakfast... perhaps Hilde had left him some oats... That in mind, he made for the kitchen.

"All done with the terminal?" Hilde piqued, glancing up from her stacks of papers as he entered. The former pilot of Wing smiled in amusement as he noted copies of something along the lines of 'Home & Garden' mixed in with the technical manuals and legal contracts.

Nodding in response, Heero smirked. "Called her collect. Any breakfast left?"

"Oats are on the stove. Should still be warm. The milk's in the fridge, and honey is in the cabinet above the stove. Help yourself," she informed him, attention returning to the paperwork at hand. "I have to go into town today," the dark-haired girl continued after a moment. "If there's anything you need me to pick up while I'm out, make note of it."

Nodding his thanks around a mouthful of oats, Heero reached for a scrap sheet before digging a pen from beneath the towering piles. Scribbling down a couple things he thought were necessary if he were to be staying, the Japanese man handed the list back and went about finishing his breakfast.

"House shoes?" Hilde asked, raising an eyebrow before dropping her eyes back to her work, 'though her amusement showed as she continued to speak. "Kieran said he'd be back around three-thirty, said you guys had a 'man date'."

'Man date' indeed, Heero thought, almost laughing out loud. "I suppose you could call it that. Getting to know the other person is what one does on a first date, after all," he mused aloud, smirk resting on his lips.

"Hah! He just wants to see how drunk he can get you," Hilde snorted. "It's the way the Irish get to know newcomers and Kieran's a true Irishman. Drink him under the table and he'll respect you for the rest of your life." [1]

"I'll keep that in mind," the dark haired man smirked. "Would you mind picking me up a newspaper as well?"

"Sanqian Times or Wall-Street Journal?"

"Whatever's local," the blue-eyed man said, waving off the other more worldly newsprints and earning himself another raised eyebrow. Hilde, however, refrained from commenting, merely added his requested items to the list and continued sorting her paperwork.

---

Before long the rest of the household woke, breaking the cool quiet of the morning as rambunctious strawberry-blond and not-quite-awake chestnut joined them.

"No coffee," Hilde reminded the braided man pointedly as, out of habit, Duo made for the pot.

The thwarted let out a mild curse under his breath, mindful of little ears. "Good thing I have you around to remind me, Hil. Whatever would I do without you?" Duo asked, giving the German woman a tired smile.

The former OZ-pilot paused, glancing at Heero significantly before returning the smile along with a good-natured jibe. "Oh, well, I suppose you'd fail miserably at life."

"Harsh, Hilde-sis, harsh," Duo laughed, throwing a dramatic hand across his forehead as he leaned back against the counter. "You see how they treat me, Heero? I fail at life but they keep me around for a good laugh!"

Heero grunted mildly, "Where are your socks?"

Violet-blue eyes widened comically, face turning down to observe his bare feet on the tile floor before returning to lock with rich Prussian. "Not you too! Spirits save me! I'm surrounded by Mother Hens!"

Heero was saved from answering as tiny hands wrapped themselves around his wrist, pulling slightly to gain his attention. "Good morning, Pádraic," the dark haired man said gently, warmth welling up in his chest as he gazed upon his son.

The boy's blue eyes pleaded with him, bright smile plastered across the child's heart-shaped face.

"He wants you to fix his breakfast for him, Heero," Duo chuckled as he passed the two, headed back toward his bedroom. Probably to retrieve his socks, Heero noted. "One spoon honey and a good bit of milk," the braided man called back over his shoulder.

By the time the former-Deathscythe pilot had returned, the boy was sitting in Heero's lap, happily munching on his oats with a sippy cup of orange juice at hand.

The Japanese former pilot glanced up, meeting the gaze of his braided friend. Duo's eyes had taken on a soft look to them, an almost misty quality as he looked upon them: his friend and their son. A brilliant smile blossomed on the slender man's face before he made his way over to take up his own breakfast.

"So do you have plans for the day, Heero?" the brunet asked, cutting up a strawberry to mix in with his bowl yogurt and granola.

"Other than meeting Kieran later, not really," Heero confessed, wiping Pádraic's chin where a bit of milk was dribbling its way toward his shirt. The three-year-old grinned up at him before shoving the sippy spout into his mouth.

Duo smiled as a bit of the orange juice also made its way down the boy's chin, prompting Heero to wipe that away as well. "Would you like to take Pádraic to the park with me, then?" the braided man offered.

At the word 'park', the boy perked up. Large eyes turned from his Daddy to the Japanese man. Even if Heero had wanted to say no, he couldn't have denied the boy anything when pinned with that look. "That sounds fantastic," Heero smiled.

---

By the time Duo and Pádraic were ready to leave for the park, Hilde was already gone.

"Jackets," Heero told them, passing on Hilde's parting reminder. Duo rolled his eyes, but shirked on his own windbreaker before helping Pádraic into his own. "Ready to go?" the Asian man inquired, scooping up an armful of child.

"To the park!" Duo crowed, reaching up to ruffle the boy's blond hair as they stepped off the porch.

Well manicured gardens [2] lined their path as they trailed down the sidewalk. "This once was a bustling community, back before the colonies," Duo told him conversationally. "After the second World War the community thrived, but by the end of the century the populace had plummeted -- the kids grew up and moved away. By the time the colonies were founded the township was more like a village..." the braided man smiled, "Everyone here knows each other and watches after everyone else's kids. It's nice..."

There was a bittersweetness in the tone of his friend's voice that told the former Perfect Soldier that the other was thinking of his own childhood. "It seems like the perfect place to raise a family..." the dark haired man offered, shifting the burden on his hip.

"Yeah," Duo breathed, gifting the other man with a soft smile.

They walked in silence for a while, Heero eventually letting the squirming boy down to walk hand-in-hand between his parents. The day itself was decently warm, the sun burning off the mist that had clouded the morning sky. Occasionally Duo would greet a neighbor as they passed, but otherwise they walked on... past the gnarled and aged wrought iron fences, past the cobbled alleys.

Before Heero knew it they had arrived.

Pádraic bounced gleefully between them, gazing imploringly up for permission to run free. "Sandbox?" Duo asked the excited child, earning a fervent nod. "Alright, don't get out of my sight."

As Pádraic ran for the sandbox, he and Duo ambled their way toward the swings. With a sigh, the braided man seated himself on the hard plastic swing.

"About what you said last night," Heero began, pausing as Duo visibly tensed up. "I need to know what you want from me, in regards to Pádraic..."

The former soldier realised his mistake in phrasing when his friend spoke.

"I don't want anything from you, Heero," the braided man replied icily. "I just... needed to tell you."

"That's..." Heero scrubbed his face with one hand, silently berating himself. Hilde was going to have his balls... "I didn't mean it like that, Duo. The idea of having a son... I want to share in his life. But I need to know how much you're willing to allow me. I realise I haven't been the most reliable person in your life; and I understand it is your decision to make..."

At his words, Duo relaxed, even smiled a little. "Are you going to stick around, Heero? 'Cause that's going to determine what role I'll allow you..."

"I asked Hilde to bring me a newspaper," the dark haired man offered, earning a confused look from his braided companion. "I'm looking for a place to rent, either here in Rathfarnham or perhaps in Dublin city."

"I suppose, then, we'll just have to see how things play out, won't we?" Duo asked, refusing to give a solid answer. That was fine by Heero. He would prove to Duo and his 'family' that the former Wing pilot wasn't going anywhere any time soon.

TBC

Footnotes:  
[1] Not necessarily true... but it's a common thought. Although a good sum of the other Irish-Americans I know, most of whom I attend Pub with on Thursdays, do tend to judge you by WHAT you drink: Guinness - Good man! Killian's - Well, it'll do. Black & Tan : Are ya bloody out o' yer mind, mate?! Yeungling : Don't care to play with the big boys? Woodchuck : Well, it has more alcohol by volume than me draught does...  
[2] For the Americans : In the UK, particularly suburbia, the 'lawns' are small and called gardens. The Compact Oxford English Dictionary defines 'garden' as "a piece of ground adjoining a house, typically cultivated to provide a lawn and flowerbeds."

Enunciation table:  
Pàdraic (PAW-drik/Pah-drik)  
Kieran (KEE-ran)


	4. Chapter 4

Title: A Walk In The Irish Rain  
Author: Shi-chan  
Archive: (Willow)  
Rating: PG-13  
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing does not belong to me. However the original characters within this work of fiction, as well as the plot and premise, do.  
Warnings: dialect driven characters, virile parturiency  
Thanks: I want to thank all those who preread for me at various times, there were a good number of you and I appreciate all your help.  
This chapter is dedicated to the prereaders who asked for more description of Ireland. And a big thank you to everyone who has reviewed!

Summary: After the Wars ended, Heero Yuy set out on his own to acclimate himself to civilian life. What he forgot about acclimation is to include his friends in the process. Now he has returned to them, wanting to take up those friendships once more. However, life goes on... and sometimes the direction it takes is not what one would have imagined.

"Forever more I've stepped ashore  
My sailing days are over, oh  
Through time and tide and by your side  
Together we'll grow old."  
-- A Walk in the Irish Rain (folk song)

-

A Walk in the Irish Rain  
Chapter 4  
by Shi-chan

-

Rathfarnham,  
County of South Dublin,  
Republic of Ireland,  
ESUN  
A.C. 203

-

Ireland was a beautiful country, Heero had decided not long after arriving. A rolling green, rich and beautiful land rife with history. There was something about the ancient castles and ruins amongst such green lusciousness that flourished even in winter months, what lent an air of timelessness to the island country.

Even her villages were a mix of archaic stone -- moss clinging to the time smoothed surfaces -- and modern convenience.

After the former Wing pilot had left his best friend and their son in the capable hands of the resident Mother Hen, he'd set off.

The house wasn't far from the village's center, sitting on its outskirts. Small shops lined the streets as he drew closer into the township, breaking away from the rows of homes and well-clipped lawns.

"Aye mate, yer new 'ere," a friendly voice hollered from one of the store fronts boasting 'Fish 'n' Chips' in bright red on white. "Da missus say yer da fella been lookin' fer da Maxwell place. I take it ye found it awright?"

Heero nodded, stepping a bit closer that the man wouldn't be yelling his business for the whole town to hear. "Heero Yuy," he told the other, offering the man his hand.

The man shook his hand vigorously, grinning like a fool, something that seemed oddly charming to the Japanese former pilot. "Da nem's Caoimhín, Caoimhín

Ó Suileabháin," the man crowed. "Is grand ta meecha. Ever yer lookin' fer some mean eats, feel free ta stop in."

The man's accent was certainly heavier than Kieran's, thick and more gruff... The kind Heero wondered if the man put on for tourists.

"Is there a shop here that I can find classifieds for flats in the area?" He asked the man, stepping more onto the sidewalk and out of any possible traffic's way.

"Aye, Daimhín's shop's 'round da corner," Caoimhín told him, pointing left along the road. "'E's got jus' 'bout any t'ing ye need, paper wise..."

"Thanks," the dark haired man said, moving to head toward the shop.

"Slán leat!" the man called after him, waving.

---

The trip to Daimhín's shop was a bit less dramatic as meeting Mr. Ó Suileabháin had been... The younger man's accent wasn't nearly as thick, indicating the shop owner probably heralded from the city.

Various classifieds in hand, Heero decided he would continue exploring the village. Ireland was one of the few countries that had escaped the War almost completely unscathed... Which was why the Preventers had decided to base their European operations out of Dublin -- less rebuild to do for their own needs, so that they could focus on rebuilding for the needs of others.

Rathfarnham certainly seemed to thrive in its own little way... Quiet prosperity and a tight knit community.

---

"Well, innit the luck," he heard before an arm dropped across his shoulders. Heero turned his head toward the voice only to come eye to eye with the grinning Irishman. "I 'as jus' 'bout to come find ya," Kieran beamed, his smile stretching his face almost comically and his eyes twinkling. "Saved me the trouble!"

"My goal in life," Heero deadpanned. If it were possible, Kieran's grin widened.

"Good man!" The redhead cheered, steering them down the sidewalk. "So 'eero, figured you'd be spendin' time with Duo..."

"I did," Heero replied, refusing to take the bait. "We took Pádraic to the park this morning. They're both home napping now."

"Would be 'bout that time, wouldn't it?" the Irishman conceded, dragging them to a halt in front of a red building. With flourish, the man gestured at the painted glass window boasting the name 'Revels Public House' and claiming establishment during the last century or so of Anno Domini. [1] "Good ol' 'Revels'! Am sure me mates are already set up, so's let's get our arses inside and 'ave a seat, shall we?"

The inside looked almost as antique as the external façade. Dark wood booths gleamed with bright polyurethane finishes to protect them and Heero wondered who bothered with wood these days... It added to the atmosphere, he supposed, even going so far as to wonder if perhaps the decor was as old as the establishment itself. It wouldn't surprise him.

In a back corner an ancient jukebox spun discs, speakers hidden in the ceiling filtering the ambient noise of some pre-colonial song into the not so crowded space. The sounds of a tin whistle trilled softly mixing with guitar and voice in sad threnody...

_"By a lonely prison wall,  
I heard a young man calling,  
'Nothing matters, Mary, when you're free.  
Against the famine and the crown,  
I rebelled. They cut me down.  
Now you must raise our child with dignity._

_Low lie the fields of Athenry,  
Where once we watched the small free birds fly.  
Our love was on the wing,  
We had dreams and songs to sing.  
It's so lonely 'round the fields of Athenry..."_ [2]

Heero listened with half an ear as the lamentful song continued its tale, dodging tables and folk alike as he trailed behind Kieran toward a large booth in the corner opposite the flickering old juke.

"_Dia duit!_" his guide greeted as they stopped before the gather. "This be 'eero. 'eero, deese lovely folk be me mates," he went on to introduce them individually.

Cedric and Maeve ran the butcher shop on Willowbrook. "Been sweethearts since primary," the redheaded man added with a wink and a teasing grin aimed at the couple.

Seán and Aisling were from Mayo and had settled in Rathfarnham after graduating from the University of Dublin. They operated the local bookshop and volunteered at the library. "Good wit' the kids, deese ones."

Micheál and Tamsin were the last to be introduced, stepping in themselves to do the introductions while Kieran interjected anecdotes about how they met. "... a terrible collision of ice cream and bicycle that lead to a concussion and apparently true love. It sounded like something out of a movie... one of those ridiculous romantic comedies Relena was so fond of.

"So, 'eero," Aisling spoke up as they were settling into their cups. Her voice was... pretty, Heero thought, had an airy quality to it and seemed emphasis the 's'. "What brings ye ta Rathfarnham and 'ow'd ya meet this git?"

Heero chuckled as Kieran pouted, acting hurt by her tease. "I came to visit a friend, turns out they live together."

"Oh?" the woman raised an delicate eyebrow, grey-green eyes fixated on him like she was trying to figure him out.

"Who'd've figured," Kieran dodged for him. "Duo? Having friends? The thought alone is absurd!"

"Oh shut yer blather, O'Donovan," Aisling snipped in mock exasperation, eyes never leaving Heero's face. "I was jus' curious which 'e was 'ere ta visit."

Heero returned the stare, taking in the woman before him. Her long, light red hair was just this side of blond, a delicate strawberry that didn't quite enhance her features, but didn't necessarily detract from them either. It was, however, cut to frame her slender heart-shaped face rather tastefully. Her otherwise pale skin was liberally smattered with golden freckles and the bridge of her nose was slightly crooked, suggesting she had broken it at some point in her life. She was 'pretty', Heero decided, like her voice. There was a sharpness in her eyes that told him she was sizing him up, putting pieces of some puzzle together in her head...

Almost suddenly, her coral colored lips quirked up in a smirk before easing into a soft smile. Whatever she figured out, she would keep it to herself for now. "Jus' visitin', 'eero? Or are ye plannin' ta stay 'round?" She asked, gesturing at the apartment guides and classifieds he'd set to the side in favor of his mug of beer.

"I'm considering relocating. It's really lovely here," he allowed, taking a deep swig. "And it'd be nice to see Duo and the others more often."

"Ya found a job 'ere?" Seán asked, hand in the bowl of snacks at the center of the large table.

"Still looking. I'm planning on checking to see if the Universities or Colleges in the area have any openings," another swig, an empty pint. They called for another round.

"Ye a teacher?" Cedric joined in, fingers trailing up and down his wife's neck absently. A long time habit, Heero decided as he observed it. As for Maeve, she merely sat there, quite content to sip her whiskey and lean into the caress.

Heero shrugged. "I have my MFA."

"MFA, yeah? Huh, wouldn'a taken ye fer an artsy type," Kieran said in rejoinder. "Musta missed that part of las' night's heart to heart with our Chinee friends." [3]

"Didn't miss much," Heero shrugged.

"NCAD's always looking for adjuncts," Tasmin offered, "I work in Administration for the Art History department and, depending on your field and portfolio, they might just have a position available..." Her voice was sweet, American. Her long blond hair and wide cadet blue eyes gave her the appearance of being one of 'those' girls. She was supermodel thin, and just as pretty as any one of those women who graced the runway. He hoped, for her sake, she had more brains than most of them did.

"NCAD?" he asked after a moment, not quite sure on the acronym.

"National College of Art and Design," Tasmin smiled, perfect white teeth glittering in the low light of the pub. He decided that she smiled like Duo smiled when the braided man had done something clever and was proud of himself. "It's pretty much a straight shot down Terenure road, takes all of 10 minutes to get there. If you're interested, I could look into what positions are opening and ring you with your options..."

Heero smiled a bit back, deciding Tasmin had harnessed her look to make people underestimate her. "That would be fantastic."

---

The afternoon continued in much of the same fashion, degenerating down into drunken stories of the time Cedric ended up with a pig that wasn't actually dead. The damned creature had woken up and freaked. The newspapers caught shots of poor Cedric being dragged down Owendore.

Maeve, Aisling, and Tamsin had waved off, 'leaving the boys to their mischief'. "Don' be a stranger, 'eero," Aisling offered along with a half hug as they made to depart. "And come visit me bookstore iffin ye has the chance."

Well into their cups, the boys waved the ladies on, promising not to stay too long. A fellow by the name of Caradog joined them soon after, introducing himself as he clopped Kieran on the back. "Prichard. Caradog Prichard. I runs the Blaidd Drwg Inn on Geraldine," the man gloated, giving a strong handshake. The man had an almost singsong accent, smooth and deep and definitely Welsh. [4][5]

"Heero Yuy," he returned the handshake, adding a little extra pressure that earned him a smile and his own clop on the back.

"You're _orraye_, Heero," Caradog laughed, taking his seat at the table. "You lot are well in, suppose I missed a lot?" [6]

"Just the girls poking at 'eero," Micheál piqued, draining his pint and hollering for the barmaid. "'eero here's lookin' ta move 'ere ta Erin. Lookin' fer a job and Tamsin's gonna 'elp 'im."

"Now dun go sulky, Mick," Seán groaned, shoving the other man in the ribs. "The missus is jus' tryin' ta 'elp. Insecure bugger."

"I'm not goin' sulky, ya bastard!" Mick threw a handful of pork scratchings at Seán who threw some back, hitting Cedric...

Before it could escalate into an all out food war, Kieran was calling a halt, snatching up the bowl of scratchings and scolding the three as if they were school boys caught on the lark.

"How is Duo doin'?" Caradog asked as they finally settled back to their pints.

"'e's doin' pretty well," Kieran replied, sobering a little. "Still pretty much 'ouse-bound. No strenuous stuff. They did take Pádraic ta the park dis mornin'." The man grinned broadly, nudging Heero in the ribs. "Me 'ilde-girl keeps 'im on track."

"She'll make a great mum when ye two finally decide ta get on the make," Seán tossed in, stretching his arms over his head. "Awright, gents, I has ta be off. Food does call."

"Yeah, I t'ink I mus' be goin' 's well," Cedric said, sliding out so Mick and Seán could as well. "S'good ta meet ya 'eero. Don' be a stranger, eh?" There were handshakes all around as tabs were paid or put on account.

"We bes' be makin' our way 'ome, 's well," Kieran sighed, giving Caradog a rueful look. "Sorry, man, we promised 'ilde we'd be 'ome fer tea and i's about that time."

"Completely understand," Caradog said with a smile. "Was nice ta meet you, Heero, even if it were only fer a short time. I knows this place, nice house, been on the market for munt's. Here's my card, give me a ring when you're ready to look at it."

Heero took the card, scrutinizing it for something. He wasn't sure what. It was simple, white with glossy black lettering. 'Caradog Prichard, Blaidd Drwg Inn and Realty'. Who ran a realty business out of an inn? Didn't much matter, but his head was fuzzy from the rounds they'd managed to go through in two hours.

The cool evening air helped with his head. Brisk but not terribly chilling, it cleared out the fuzzies and cotton candy cobwebs that were trying to take up residence in his mind. How many had he managed? After a while each pint just blurred into the next and it wasn't like the barmaid left them the empty glasses with which to keep count.

"Well, 'eero, I have ta say, you manage to hold your drink ridiculously well for such a small man," the redheaded man grinned, once again dropping an arm around the shorter man's shoulders. "And ye handled me friends rather well, have ta say Aisling reads people like the books she sells... Usually unnerves people, but you, my friend, didn't e'en ruffle!"

"Hn," the Japanese man grunted, accepting that Kieran was as touchy-feely as Duo ever was... maybe even more so.

"Ya know something, 'eero? Yer awright," the Irishman confided before chuckling softly. "'e wants ya to stick 'round something fierce. An' honestly, Pádraic needs to know ya. Even iffin it is as the doting uncle."

Heero gave another grunt. He'd expected that Kieran knew, even expected the man to bring it up. Didn't change that things we going to be slow going; it did however bolster his determination to prove to Duo that he was here to stay, that he could be a stable part of their son's life.

"We're... working through it," he said after a moment's silence.

"Can I ask ye a personal question? And I want ye ta think on it." The arm lifted from his shoulders and the tall man step apart to give them both personal space. Taking Heero's answering shrug for a 'yes', Kieran pressed on. "Could ye ever love 'im?"

The question stopped the Japanese man short. Could he ever love Duo? He hadn't posed it that way to himself. He'd asked himself how he felt about the braided man, but all his questions revolved around the here and the now. Was there the possibility that he could come to love another man?

No, that wasn't right. Duo wasn't just 'another man'. Duo was Duo. He was the boy who had piloted the Gundam Deathscythe and had been his partner of many a mission. The boy with whom he'd shared rations, beds, nightmares... Duo was his best friend, but could he be something more?

TBC

Foot Notes:  
[1] 'Revels' exists. And it is a red painted front to the establishment. Its address is 37 Main St., Rathfarnham, Dublin 14. I have never been there, but it is listed as the trendy pub that draws young and old alike. We're going to pretend it has survived the years between its Anno Domini/Common Era establishment and our present time during After Colony. Please remember, I have never been to Rathfarnham and I am not trying to write this as though I have... this is After Colony... things change. Thank goodness I have that excuse for artistic license.  
[2] The Fields of Athenry, written in the 1970s by Pete St. John. I actually don't like putting song lyrics in fics... but this is my most favourite Irish Folk song... and my pub plays it every time I go. Below is a link to Uisce Beatha (EEsh-KUH BAH-HAH) playing 'The Fields of Athenry' at our Christmas Benefit in 2007. Not the best version, on my friend's birthday the song was played more to tradition. youtube .com/watch?v=1QADBbG84HQ  
[3] Chinee - Looney slang for Chinese. Cite: Robert A. Heinlein. Books tying into the Future History and Alternate History story lines. Not a mistype. Why did I use it? Because even in the future, ethnic slangs and slurs still exist. Chinee is not a slur, but a lazy Looney slang. Kieran has a lazy way of speaking; I figured it worked for him. Please do not take offense.  
[4] Caradog Prichard was a Welsh poet. And a character is given his namesake in Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising Sequence.  
[5] Blaidd Drwg means Bad Wolf.  
[6] orraye is how people from Cardiff pronounce 'all right'.

Transltions:  
Slán leat! - Good bye (said to the person leaving)  
Dia duit! - Hello

Enunciation table:  
Pàdraic (PAW-drik/Pah-drik)  
Kieran (KEE-ran)  
Caoimhín (KEE-veen)  
Ó Suileabháin (O'Sullivan)  
Daimhín (DA-veen)  
Cedric (Seh-drik)  
Seán (SHAUN)  
Micheál (MEEk-hail)Maeve (Mayv)  
Aisling (Ash-lin)


	5. Chapter 5

Title: A Walk In The Irish Rain  
Author: Shi-chan  
Archive: GWA (Willow), FFnet (Katerina Shinigami)  
Rating: PG-13  
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing does not belong to me. However the original characters within this work of fiction, as well as the plot and premise, do.  
Warnings: dialect driven characters, _virile parturiency_  
**Thanks: I want to thank all those who preread for me at various times, there are a good number of you and I appreciate all your help. An extra special thanks goes out to Skylark (for the badgers and the never ceasing inspiring pestering she gives me) and Amy (for always being there and for encouraging me) for all their help and for putting up with me and my insanities. Thank you to those of you who read and especially to those who give feedback. Your words and encouragement are indispensable.**  
Beta/pre-reader: This chapter was looked over by Amy and Skylark and approved for posting. .

Summary: After the Wars ended, Heero Yuy set out on his own to acclimate himself to civilian life. What he forgot about acclimation is to include his friends in the process. Now he has returned to them, wanting to take up those friendships once more. However, life goes on... and sometimes the direction it takes is not what one would have imagined.

NOTE: In the first chapter I said it was Late September, that is wrong. I miscalculated what I was doing -- the timeframe is actually Late November. Sorry for any confusion.

Feedback: Let me know what you think?

-

_"Forever more I've stepped ashore  
My sailing days are over, oh  
Through time and tide and by your side  
Together we'll grow old."_  
-- A Walk in the Irish Rain (folk song)

A Walk in the Irish Rain  
Chapter 5  
by Shi-chan

Rathfarnham,  
County of South Dublin,  
Republic of Ireland,  
ESUN  
A.C. 203

-

Their return home found the braided man in the kitchen, gracefully dancing between pots and pans, stirring this and flipping that while humming happily to himself. Despite reservations about Duo's cooking held over from the war, a surprisingly pleasant aroma wafted from the kitchen, enticing their senses and teasing their empty stomachs.

"Who let you in the ki'chen, mischief?" Kieran called, giving Duo a dubious glance before seeking out his wife.

"She did," came the cheerful return, spatula pointed at the culprit. "And you ought to be thankful, it's not everyday I cook for you, ya lug."

"'ilde! What'd I tell ya 'bout lettin' the mischief inta the ki'chen?" the redheaded man thundered ominously, standing behind the couch, fists on his hips, as he glowered down upon his wife. A devious grin was all the warning given before Kieran pounced, tickling the dark haired girl for all she was worth. "Only on special occasions!"

Hilde shrieked, clutching at her sides as she gasped desperately around laughter. "Uncle uncle," she cried, swatting at the merciless hands. "Pádraic, save me from Uncle K! Ahhh!"

Kieran retaliated by scooping up the child and dangling him by the ankles, grinning as the boy squealed and laughed, little fingers reaching to pull gently at his Auntie Hilde's hair.

Heero watched in amusement as the trio settled down, cheeks flushed and spread with matching grins. He wanted to be a part of that. To come home and scoop his son into his arms, lift him high and play airplane or tickle monster or any other such silly games one played with their child.

"So what's the occasion?" Heero queried, curious about such arrangements.

"I made the cover of this month's Metalsmith Magazine," Duo replied, smiling as he brought a basket of some delicious smelling bread to the table. "So in celebration we're having Naan, Palak Paneer, Aloo Chana, Basmati Rice, Tandoori Chicken for the meat eaters, and Mango Lassi for dessert. I hope you like Indian food."

This time it was Heero's turn to blink. "Metalsmith?"

"Mmhm," the braided man hummed, padding across the floor with a steaming bowl of some curried vegetable. "Want to give me a hand, Heero? Hil, will you finish setting the table?"

"Say please!" the German girl teased, sticking out her tongue and hoisting Pádraic up onto her hip, flicking the boy on the nose as he mimicked her. "Brat, don't stick your tongue out at Daddy. Not polite. Do as I say, not as I do," she chided cheerfully.

"Great role model, Hil. Could you please finish setting the table, the Palak Paneer is getting cold..."

"Isn't Metalsmith a jewelry based magazine?" Heero asked. Art History wasn't as shallow as to focus only on paintings or sculpture as some expected; and Heero himself had taken a few basic metalworking classes during his time in school...

"That it would be," Duo chuckled as they continued to pad back and forth. Before long they were all settled around the table sipping fruit tea and tucking in to the food with gusto, conversation set aside for the moment.

Halfway through the meal, a knock sounded at the front door. "I'll get it," the braided man offered, slipping off to answer the door.

"Oh my god! Trowa!"

The shout prompted a scuttle of blond to dart through the living room in similar excitement and was followed shortly by Duo dragging their guest into the dining area, hands waving ecstatically... while their guest dragged the tuft of blond also known as Pádraic Delaney Maxwell along. Heero frowned; the braided man hadn't greeted him with such excitement when he'd arrived.

"Trowa's back! Trowa's home!" Duo nearly danced, clutching at the taller man's arm in his excitement to show him off.

Trowa Barton, Heero decided, hadn't changed a lot in the last few years. He still kept his hair about his face, hiding one eye. Perhaps the man was a bit taller, still towering over Duo as he always had. Perhaps he was a bit broader in the shoulders... But otherwise, physically, he seemed to be the same Trowa they'd fought with during the war... merely older, more filled out.

"Calm down, Duo," Hilde chided. "We can see that Trowa's home. I swear, you're worse than Pádraic. Paddy, sit down. Now, Duo, be a dear and get him a plate. The Stick must be starving."

Cool green eyes twinkled with mirth as Duo did as bade, gracefully gliding off to retrieve a plate from the kitchen as Kieran assured him that he was safe, that Duo was the one who had cooked dinner. Said assurances earned him a backhanded smack on the shoulder from his wife, which he bore with a grin.

"Are you staying the night or heading back to your flat?" the braided man asked as dinner continued, nearly out of his seat in his excitement.

"I suppose I could stay the night," Trowa drawled, as if the request were a labor to take on, helping himself to more rice.

Duo's responding smile was beatific.

---

Fat and happy at the end of the meal, Kieran sat back, patting his belly and wiping his mouth clean as Hilde and Duo cleared away the plates from the table. "Maybe should rewrite the rule 'bout mischief in the ki'chen 'n' let 'im cook more of'en," the Irishman rumbled happily. "Me 'n' 'ilde-girl are gone ta go fer a walk, you wants we take Pádraic with us?"

"Could you?" Duo asked. "That'd be great…"

"Certainly, gots to walk the critter 'fore bed, anyway," the Irishman winked. "Iffin' ye want, we'll take 'im tonight, let ye boys 'ave a night ta catch up without the rug-rat..."

"Kiddo out of the way, Duo, we can get wild," Trowa joked mildly, smiling in a way Heero couldn't quite place. It was new to him, such open expressions on the once-silent man's face. Trowa, Heero felt, had been even more stoic of expression than he himself had ever been... Yet here he was, smiling with such softness, such... genuine caring.

"Then's settled!" Kieran announced, standing up and scooping Pádraic up out of his chair. "'ilde-girl, grab the leash. Time to walk the kiddo."

Hilde rolled here eyes, rising as well. She paused in following her husband to drop a kiss on Duo's cheek and one on Trowa's too. "You boys don't stay up too late, Duo's got a trip into town early tomorrow," she reminded with a parting smile.

"I think I'm going to go take a quick shower. I stink like pub," Heero offered, hoping to give the two a little privacy to catch up. It was obvious they were close and that Duo was giddy to talk to the tall former-pilot. "I'll see you guys in a few minutes."

---

Thirty minutes later saw Heero stepping out of the shower, towel to his messy hair, another about his waist. No longer did the acrid smell of cigarettes hang about him, clinging to his skin like spray paint: the charm of imbibing at a pub.

In his room he found Abigail, curled up atop his pillows looking for all the world like she belonged there. The cat barely cracked an eye as he made his way about the room, pulling on sweat pants for bed... and a t-shirt as an after thought. He took an extra moment to run a comb through his wet mop of hair to avoid tangles later -- nothing could tame the unruly mass, but he could prevent painful snarls. "Am I presentable?" he asked the cat, holding his arms out to the side.

His response was a large yawn as Abigail turned her head to face the other direction and went back to sleep.

"Some help you are," Heero grunted. Talking to the cat was craziness in and of itself, but it amused him.

"Well, enjoy yourself. I'm going to go find Duo and Trowa..."

Duo and Trowa... The braided man had been so excited that Trowa had 'come home'. Heero felt a little despondent that he too hadn't received such a welcome, but what could he expect? He'd disappeared nearly five years prior and suddenly reappeared on the braided man's doorstep just yesterday... He should count himself lucky that Duo didn't throw him out as a stranger on his stoop. Instead the braided pilot-turned-artist had stared at him in shock before welcoming him with a warm smile.

Yes, he should be grateful... that didn't change the fact that he envied the welcome Trowa had received.

That was another thing... During the war, Trowa and Duo had had little interaction and what interaction they did have was often not the friendliest... Yet here they were, having a sleeping over even though it appeared the taller man had a residence in town, not a fifteen-minute drive.

He'd obviously missed a lot in the last few years...

---

The former soldier made no effort to disguise the sound of his footfalls as he sought out the other two men. Voices drifted from the direction of Duo's room, low but not secretive...

"Can I?" Trowa's deep baritone drifted out into the hall with such gentleness and warmth wrapped up in the two words.

"Yeah..." The softness of the words traililing off into an almost sigh, the word mere breath on the air.

Neither man seemed to notice at first as Heero stepped into the doorframe, his eyes riveted to the scene before him as his gut simmered in a sudden flush of emotion.

Trowa's hands were spread wide, his long fingers caressing the slight swell of Duo's belly as the braided man held his shirt up a soft-dreamy smile on his face. The auburn haired man's thumb drifted mindlessly back and forth across the smooth skin as they stood there. "I'll never get used to it," the slightly older man murmured.

"You!" Duo chuckled, cheeks burning red. "You're not the one with it inside you!" A deep rumbling sounded from Trowa's chest in response, fingers still trailing the smooth taut skin.

"Still…"

Heero gave it another breath before clearing his throat.

Bright violet-blue eyes turned toward him, startled. Face paling, Duo pulled away quickly, tugging his shirt down as his arms dropped protectively to his midsection. "H—it's not what you think," the braided man choked out, fear plain in the vibrant eyes.

"Duo, calm down," Trowa ordered placidly, hands going to the braided man's shoulders, completely unperturbed by Heero's sudden appearance. "Breathe slowly, don't get worked up." Only once color had returned to their friend's face did the taller man turn his even emerald gaze toward the door. "Heero and I will go get some tea and meet you out in the sitting room, alright?"

Green eyes refocused on violet, awaiting the shorter man's nod before releasing his shoulders with a gentle squeeze of long fingers. "C'mon Heero, you can show me where he's moved the kettle this week," Trowa joked in excuse, ushering them both out of the room.

As they made their way toward the kitchen, Heero continued to frown, working through what he'd seen without the full information.

"Did you know that he's pregnant?" Trowa asked as he shuffled about, drawing the Japanese man's attention from its inward gaze.

"That's what –" Realization like a light switch being turned on snapped the former soldier's mouth shut. "No." The reply was given with a shake of his head, messy locks of slowly drying hair drifting back and forth with the motion. "No. He… didn't tell me." Yet he'd informed Trowa. The former HeavyArms pilot knew... "Is it yours?"

A sudden, sharp laugh erupted from the auburn haired man. "No… No, it's not mine," the words held some remorse, some touch of sadness that was covered over quickly with an almost bitter frankness as the man plowed on. "It's yours."

---

They sipped their tea in silence, waiting for Duo to come out into the sitting area. Eventually, the longhaired man did join them, his long loose yoga pants swishing about his legs topped with a baggy slogan shirt. The long hair was unraveling from its plait, but its owner didn't seem to notice.

"Your Red Raspberry Leaf tea is steeping on the counter," Trowa offered gently.

Duo paused, nodding briefly before making the trek into the kitchen to retrieve his tea. When he didn't immediately return Trowa spoke up.

"He was worried about telling you." The words caused Heero to wrench his eyes from his own amber concoction of steeped herb. He'd been focusing on a chip in the ceramic lip, picking at with a ragged nail and wondering absently when he'd begun chewing them.

Dark prussian blue eyes leveled with deep forest-like emerald green ones before Trowa spoke again. "He told me he was worried it would be too much too fast and that it would drive you away again, back off to your little world of pretending we didn't exist in an effort to 'find yourself'."

The former pilot of Wing nodded, scowling internally. His lips pursed as he gave the words thought. He could understand Duo's feelings, his fears; and at the same time it made a little part of him burn. Jealousy and anger danced through the pit of his stomach, igniting feelings that fought his rationale and the logic of the situation.

"He's rather fragile right now," Trowa continued, gaze locked on the empty kitchen doorway. "Physically and emotionally. This baby… It took a lot of gumption for him to give it another go after the previous attempts."

That caught the sullen man's attention. "Attempts?"

A weary nod, "Keep in mind that I am telling you this to spare Duo the stress of having to do so himself." Trowa paused to give his words a moment to sink in before continuing. "Pádraic was the third attempt… Third time's the charm, eh?" The auburn haired man joked bitterly. "When he decided to have another, well things went even worse. A man's body just isn't built to take the kind of strain that pregnancy puts on it. I don't even want to count the number of times he tried before getting this far this time. The emotional stress of that alone…"

Trowa's long fingers picked nervously at a loose thread in the arm cover of the chair as he continued. "He's been through a lot and they can't give him anything to help him through it. It's been rough. Really rough at times. Hell, making it through the first trimester is a big deal for him! Then you show up and of course he wants to tell you, wants you to know about Pádraic and the baby -- but he's afraid. Afraid you'll run away or that you haven't the intention of staying anyway. He's afraid to put himself through that, through hoping, and through the hurting – he can't handle that right now. And face it, Heero; you've not been the most reliable person in the past few years. You can't expect that showing back up and throwing out a few hollow words – how you're planning on staying, getting a job, being there for Paddy – is going to convince him that it's safe, that you will be staying, that you will be there for them. Actions speak louder than words."

"Since when did you talk so much?" Heero joked awkwardly almost under his breath, attempting to break the tension that was building.

"Since I learned that I didn't have to be alone to find myself," the auburn haired man snipped calmly, cuttingly. "Since I learned that there are people who care for me and that, by some strange twist of fate, I care about them too. I'll tell you this, Heero: I care for Duo very much and if you so much as look at him the wrong way, I will make you regret ever being born."

"I think that's enough testosterone slinging, Trowa," came the quiet voice from the doorway. "Much as I appreciate the sentiment…"

With grace that only Trowa seemed to manage, the tall man stood, long limbs unfolding from his recline. "Then by your leave, I shall retire to the guest house," he offered, gliding over to drop a gentle kiss on the braided man's cheek.

With a roll of his eyes, Duo pushed the other man away and giving the former HeavyArms pilot a stern look. "Trowa," he warned before his glower melted into a soft smile. "Shoo, go sleep. You can tell us about the exciting world of bodyguard duty for the ESUN president tomorrow."

"Am I driving you into town in the morning?" the auburn haired man asked before heading out the back door.

"Sure, we can all go," Duo nodded. "Heero said something about looking for a place to stay… what better place to look than Dublin City?"

---

After Trowa had departed, Duo remained at the door for a moment staring down into his tea. "I should have told you," he said by way of apology.

"Yeah," Heero agreed, that little fizzle of anger was still alight in his stomach, roaring around and demanding a tantrum the former Wing pilot was not going to give it. "But I understand why you didn't."

The braided man nodded, "I didn't intend for you to find out that way… Trowa, he just…" The sentence staggered to a stop, lost for words. "I don't want you to think… What's between us isn't like that…"

Carefully, Heero stood, making sure not to spill the now dark liquid as he set the cup on a coaster left out on the coffee table. The pilot-turned-art-historian moved to stand beside his once best friend before speaking. "May I?" he asked, gesturing to the slight swell of the other man's belly. It was his child growing within and he wanted to feel it … He understood well Trowa's need to do so; this tiny life was a miracle – tangible unlike any other miracle man dreamed up, and growing slowly, yet so miraculously fast, within the braided man's body and made so much more precious by the difficulty with which it was achieved.

Slowly, Duo turned toward him, amethyst eyes shimmering in the low light of the sitting room. "Yes," the braided man breathed, as if not believing what was asked of him. It must have been astounding to him, the curiosity Heero's face must have shown, the amazement that must have been in the other man's eyes.

Carefully, Heero reached forward, fingers trailing first across the fabric, feeling the warm gently curving bulge beneath with nervous fingers. The skin twitched slightly beneath the rough pads, calluses snagging a bit on the soft material of the cloth as he ever so gently made his way to the hem of Duo's shirt. Heero lifted the material reverently – as if opening a gift -- delicately wrapped in fine gold foil and tied with woven silver ribbon.

"How far along?" Heero whispered, seeking confirmation from the source.

"Three months today."

"So dinner…"

"In part," the braided man confessed. "I really did have this month's cover article in Metalsmith…"

Heero nodded acceptingly as his hands drifted to splay across the expanse of the small bulge. "I'd like to see your work sometime," he murmured distractedly. "Is it too soon for…"

Duo nodded. "Another month or so, then I get to enjoy more sleepless nights," the braided man joked with a small chuckle.

"Gender?"

A gentle shake of the head, "Not yet, besides I like the surprise of not knowing 'til the baby comes…"

He gave a small nod but for his part, Heero was enraptured, absolutely captivated. Beneath his hands life was growing, cells dividing, energy moving… all within the slender frame of his former partner. It was amazing… and frightening. Frightening because that life growing in Duo's belly was his as well.

It was one thing to be told where Pádraic had come from… the process of it left to the realm of science fiction. It was a completely different thing to standing here together, Heero's hands on the swollen proof of new-forming life... It caused something to stir in his gut that had nothing to do with the biting flames of jealousy and anger that had danced there earlier that evening. Instead this feeling was warm and filling, swelling inside of him like bright sunshine.

And like the Enlightenment, realization came to him in full, washing over him as he breathed out in awe.

"We're going to have a baby…"

-

-

TBC

-

Enunciation:  
Delaney - Duh-lay-nee

Footnotes:  
[1] Metalsmith Magazine is a rather prestigious magazine for the Metalworking and Jewelry world in art. It is produced in our present day by SNAG (the Society of North American Goldsmiths) and mainly features American artists. I'm fudging again with this. In the year A.C. 203 Metalsmith has been picked up by a worldwide metalsmithing and jewelry arts organization: ESSoM (the Earth Sphere Society of Metalsmiths). Secondary note: I am a member of SNAG. :) Tertiary note: All three of my professors have been featured in Metalsmith. :)


	6. Chapter 6

Title: A Walk In The Irish Rain  
Author: Shi-chan  
Archive: GWA (Willow), FanFictionNet(Katerina Shinigami)  
Rating: PG-13  
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing does not belong to me. However the original characters within this work of fiction, as well as the plot and premise, do.  
Warnings: dialect driven characters, virile parturiency  
Thanks: Thanks goes to SkyLark for badgering and supporting me through this chapter. It's entirely her fault!

Additional thanks: I want to thank everyone who is reading whether you have reviewed, selected chapter alert, favourited this fic or otherwise: THANK YOU FOR READING! I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

Summary: After the Wars ended, Heero Yuy set out on his own to acclimate himself to civilian life. What he forgot about acclimation is to include his friends in the process. Now he has returned to them, wanting to take up those friendships once more. However, life goes on... and sometimes the direction it takes is not what one would have imagined.

NOTE: In the first chapter I said it was Late September, that is wrong. I miscalculated what I was doing -- the timeframe is actually Late November. Sorry for any confusion.

Feedback: Let me know what you think?

-

_"Forever more I've stepped ashore  
My sailing days are over, oh  
Through time and tide and by your side  
Together we'll grow old."_  
-- A Walk in the Irish Rain (folk song)

-

A Walk in the Irish Rain  
Chapter 6  
by Shi-chan

Rathfarnham,  
County of South Dublin,  
Republic of Ireland,  
ESUN  
A.C. 203

-

Once again morning wound its way up from the distant East, breaking over the coast and slipping along the cobbled streets through Dublin before sneaking into Rathfarnham. It peeked into the windows, blinking bright eyes through gauzy curtains, softly kissing the sleepers to wake.

Like a whisper, it roused Heero from his own slumber, calling him to rise and meet the day. At his side, Abigail chirped a mew at him in protest for disturbing her rest at such an inglorious hour before stretching and rolling over to her other side.

It was quiet, peaceful. "No wonder Duo chose this place," Heero murmured to himself as he slid from the bed. The art historian moved about lazily, pulling out clothes for the day before heading for the shower.

Not long into his shower, a knock sounded on the bathroom door, followed by Trowa's voice. "We're leaving in fifteen," the green-eyed man called through the door.

"Shit," the Japanese man cursed, wiping soap from his eyes as he hurried to finish up. Very carefully he climbed out of the tub, toweling himself off briskly while muttering about vengeful former-pilots and a little forewarning. Hastily he dressed, padding from the bathroom in bare feet.

A soft high-pitched whistle startled him as he rubbed at his ear, trying to work the remaining water from the channel. Out of the corner of his eye he caught Duo slipping into the bathroom, a small smile cast back over his shoulder before the door closed and Heero could hear water running.

Toast lay on a plate awaiting him as he made his way into the kitchen and he rifled through the assortment of jams and jellies before selecting a plum from their midst. An American import claimed the label, from some former state located in the South Eastern portion of the continent. Wherever it came from, it was delicious, Heero decided as he munched his toast.

In short time, Duo emerged smiling brightly and smelling of crisp peppermint. The braided artist still wore loose, comfortable looking clothing – his baggy shirt hiding any telltale signs of his condition. "Are we ready to head out?" the amethyst eyed man asked, eyeing Heero's toast with longing. He shook his head when the former Wing pilot offered him a bite, "Just brushed my teeth."

"You could brush them again," Trowa stated as he joined them in the kitchen. "It's not the end of the world if you give in and have a bit more to eat, you know?"

"But it'll taste funny," Duo protested, wrinkling his face in disgust. "No, I'll wait 'til we get out of the Doc's."

"Suit yourself," the taller man shrugged, donning his jacket as Duo and Heero finished pulling on their own coats. "Everyone ready to go?"

---

The trip into Dublin was quiet, the three of former pilots riding in near silence as they road in Trowa's SUV, Heero taking the back seat and watching the landscape fly by in dazzling green mixed with the occasional grey of rock. "It really is beautiful here," the Japanese art historian commented eventually, eyes wide as he took in the green land of Erin.

"Yeah," Duo sighed, gaze also fixed on the landscape. "Ireland long ago decided to keep their development solely to the established cities, leaving the land lush and green. There are only six major cities in the entire country, Dublin being the largest." [1]

Before long the city had risen around them, great shining buildings sparkling above stone masonry structures: evidence of progress amidst history. Trowa navigated the winding streets with practiced ease, making Heero wonder just how often the tall man had driven their braided friend to his office visits.

"You two go on up. I've a few errands to run," Trowa insisted as they pulled up to the kerb. "'Sides," he snorted. "Flaherty'll want to meet the father."

---

The words 'Assisted Pregnancy Research Centre' were etched into the doors through which they entered, frosted white against the clear-blue tone of the glass enclosed lobby.

"Morning, Mister Maxvell!" the girl at the desk called out with a heavy German accent, smiling brightly. "Achnd who ish dis delicious young man? Der vater per'aps?"

The braided man blushed slightly before agreeing. "Lise, meet Heero Yuy. Heero, this is Lise."

"Ish gut to meet you, Mister Yuy," Lise smiled. "Doktor Flaherty should be vaiting for you. You have zee ultrasound today, yah? You must share pictures when you come down."

"I will," Duo smiled, waving as they made their way to the elevator. "Try not to work too hard, Lise."

"Hard vork? Dis? Don't kid me," the girl chuckled as they stepped aboard the lift.

---

"The ultrasound is today?" Heero questioned as the doors closed. He felt a fluttering anxiety in his chest at the idea.

The slightly shorter man fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. "Yeah. They're about the only reason I have to come into town since I have Sally to keep check on my progress…"

"Still hate going to the doctors?" Heero asked gently, smiling at the fact that some things stayed the same.

"Yeah, though I'm kind of excited. Nervous and excited," the braided artist conceded. "This'll be the first look we get at our baby…"

Heero froze for a moment, shell-shocked. He'd not really thought about that fact – that they were going to have a baby – since the previous night when he'd gone to bed. Now here he was, standing in a small glass lift on the way to an appointment to see his unborn child… "I think I need a moment," he breathed as the doors opened, letting them out.

Duo frowned, pulling back a little before Heero held up a hand. "It's not… It just all hit me at once, it's a bit… overwhelming," he almost chuckled, thinking that when he'd learned he was a father in the first place he'd decided overwhelming didn't even come close to describing things… but it was the only word he could think to fit the situation.

A wan smile graced the American's full lips, understanding sparkling in the violet-blue eyes. "I think overwhelming is an understatement," the braided man chuckled as they shared a smile.

As their eyes met, Heero felt his heart speed up. How did this man understand him so well? It humbled him, the patience and the love he saw in those eyes. Even now, Duo loved him. Even now, he wore his heart on his sleeve and waited for Heero to reject him. Here he was, taking the former Wing pilot in with him to get their first glimpse of their baby, making himself vulnerable in sharing such an experience…

On impulse Heero reached out and took the braided man's hand in his own, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Let's go see our baby," he declared, never taking his eyes off the other man's. His reward was the most brilliant smile he'd ever seen.

---

"Duo, please come in!" The woman called out, shuffling papers behind her desk. "You must be Heero. It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Doctor Shannon Flaherty, but please call me Shannon. You had breakfast before you came, right? Good."

The doctor wasn't at all what Heero'd expected. His mind had generated salicin thoughts of mad scientists – not unlike the Mad Five who had orchestrated Operation Meteor and its subsequent incarnations – and crazy laboratories full of bubbling vials and archaic alchemy.

Instead here was a woman, approximately 170 centimeters tall, dressed in well-cut black slacks and a Kelly green three-quarter-length sleeve blouse that accentuated her shoulder length red hair. The pair of Danksos on her feet suggested she spent more time on them than sitting in the cushy chair behind the desk, though the lab coat which hung on the rack in the corner was clean, crisp white.

"It's so good to finally meet the father," the woman continued, gesturing for them to take a seat in the chairs opposite her even as Heero scowled to mentally at the number of people who knew who he was. "Well, boys," the woman smiled. "I bet you're excited to see how your baby is progressing."

Out of the corner of his eye, Heero caught the anxious nod of his companion also noting how Duo's hands were wringing his shirt. Like before, he gave little thought to reaching out and taking one of those hands in his own: Duo needed the support and, if he was truthful with himself, the action calmed his own nerves. "We're more than ready to get this underway," Heero informed her eagerly.

---

The art historian watched with rapt attention as they readied his friend for the ultrasound. Doctor Flaherty had settled the slender man upon the table, chatting aimlessly as she readied the equipment for the sonogram.

Heero kept his hand locked in Duo's as the nurse, a blond woman whose name tag read RN Chapel with a smiley face beside it and several lollipops in her breast pocket, set about pulling the baggy t-shirt up to reveal the curving bulge of the braided man's stomach. "Alright, sweetie, the gel's going to be a little cold," she told Duo kindly before applying the viscous stuff to the man's skin.

And then they were go.

The screen illuminated with a white glow on black as the sound waves bounced off tissues, the denser the tissue the brighter the white glow came back… "We're looking good," Shannon commented, smiling as the image began to take shape. "There… you hear that?"

"It sounds… different," Duo murmured, watching the screen as if spellbound.

With a bright smile, the woman turned to them, taking her eyes off the image. "That's because there are two heartbeats present," she told them triumphantly. "Sally said she thought she heard two, but she wanted to wait 'til we took the ultrasound to confirm it. Congratulations."

"Two? How… I thought…" Heero frowned, confused, but then he knew little of the procedure.

"Similar to in vitro fertilization, or IVF, used in women, when we implant the cells into the synthetic womb we transfer multiple embryos to improve the chances that the pregnancy will take. Here in the UK, we transfer two, to keep the rates of multiple birth's low," the redheaded woman explained, still moving the receptive head of the ultrasound device to follow the babies. "In some extremely rare cases, one of the cells takes and then splits into two. It's unpredictable -- and extremely rare in in vitro -- as we don't know what causes the cells to split."

"I never thought…" Duo murmured again, having remained silent as Doctor Flaherty spoke. Tears brimmed in his eyes, "I knew it was possible…"

The white moved around until two round spots dominated the screen, the denser growth of the skull bouncing back bright white around the edges fading into the fuzzier grey of the tiny bodies.

For his part, Heero sat there, holding tight to the braided artist's hand as he attempted to assimilate this latest bit of information even with the evidence before his very eyes.

"I'm going to assume you still wish to be surprised by the sex of the babies," Shannon commented, finishing with the machine and proceeding to wipe the sticky slick goop from the somewhat emotional man's skin. "Well, dears, I'm going to insist you stick to the routine we'd previously set up. Naps whenever you are tired. Don't do anything strenuous or otherwise taxing. Avoid stress wherever possible. This will be extremely important as your pregnancy progresses. And we'll talk about bed-rest when it comes closer to time… Any questions for me? No? Well, I'll have Sally bring you the ultrasound pictures when she visits."

"I think they're a bit dumbstruck," the nurse commented, smiling at the young men. "You boys will be fine."

---

It wasn't long after they exited the office that the two found themselves in the mommy-to-be friendly coffee house downstairs waiting for Trowa to return. The comfy, cushion-lined white plastic Saarinen tulip chairs and the once-futuristic polypropylene Saarinen pedestal tables gave the room a comforting feeling of austere-nostalgia.

Not quite smothered in the silence of the near-empty cafe, the two sat nursing their respective drinks – some highly caffeinated espresso concoction for Heero, while Duo sipped at a decaffeinated whole milk late with an approved-for-mommies-to-be vanilla and caramel flavored sugar substitute.

Watching the braided artist drink something so unlike what Heero remembered him to enjoy, reminded the man just what his friend had sacrificed to bear his children. It made his admiration for the former Deathscythe pilot grow exponentially.

Heero smiled into his espresso. The man once called Shinigami… Death bringing life. Only Duo could be such a contradiction.

"Thank you for being there today, Heero," Duo said after a while, eyes turned into his cup, perhaps watching the foam swirl. "It really meant a lot to me."

"I wanted to be there, Duo. I want to be there for you and our children," the Japanese man told him adamantly. "You… mean a lot to me. You always have. I've just been too stupid, to repressed to express it. For that, I'm sorry." Amethyst eyes stared, their size wider even than normal, as the former Wing pilot confessed. "But even knowing that, wanting to be a part of your lives, I don't want to lead you on. I don't want you to think I can give you something I don't know that I can."

"Gods, Heero," the braided man breathed. "I'm not asking that you love me—"

"I know that," Heero said quickly, cutting the other man off. "I know that. I just… I want to. I want to love you. You deserve that at the least for everything you've gone through to bring these little miracles into existence."

"Heero…" Sighing deeply, Duo paused before continuing. "I love you. I will always love you. That isn't something I can change. And I'd be the happiest man alive if you loved me back. But if you don't, that's okay too. Hell," the curse slipped out before the artisan could rein it in. "Even if you didn't stick around, I wouldn't keep you from seeing them. I wouldn't keep you from spending time with them. I couldn't. I couldn't do that to you and I couldn't do that to them… so, even if you can't do more than take them once a month, or however frequent you could manage… I'm okay with that."

Tears were slipping unchecked down the chestnut haired man's cheeks, salting his beverage. The sight made Heero's heart hurt, that he caused those tears even inadvertently. That Duo loved him so much…

"I want to try," the former Wing pilot insisted. "I want to… not only because you deserve it, but because… because…" Heero frowned, frustrated with his lack of words. "You are important to me, Duo. They," and he carefully touched the gentle swell of the braided man's belly. "…are important to me. I don't know exactly what I feel for you, but I do know I care deeply. That I feel strongly. If that makes sense."

Limpid eyes lifted, a sweeping sadness swirling with hope lit the deep pools as they made contact with rich Prussian. Following an impulse, Heero took one of the soft white napkins and dabbed at the sticky tearstains that wound their way down the other man's face. He gave the braided man a small smile, watching as full lips stretched to mirror the gentle gesture.

"Do you even like guys, Heero?" Duo asked, that sadness climbing to the forefront again.

"Well, I did sort of date this guy on this one mission, but he was dressed in drag, so does that count?" Heero joked aloud, receiving a smack on the shoulder. "I would venture to guess that my reactions to seeing Trowa touching you should give me enough reason to wish to consider this relationship. So will you, Duo Maxwell, consent to trying this?"

The braided man bit his lip; eyes wavering again as Heero carefully took the thin-fingered hands in his own. "You'd just have to ask such things when my hormones are all screwed up," he bemoaned, choking on a teary chuckle. "Yeah, okay, I'll give it a try. Gods, how can I not? It's not like it's been my dream for ages or anything…"

---

They were still nursing their drinks when a stack of papers landed on the table between them. "That better be decaf," the tall man frowned, taking a seat in one of the unoccupied chairs.

"Yes of course, Mommie-Trowa," the braided artist quipped. "Would you like to try it for yourself and see?"

Trowa shook his head, pushing the stack toward Heero. "I believe you know what's in your best interest… but I have to check, sometimes you forget what's good for you over what tastes good."

"Yeah well," Duo muttered under his breath and Heero thought he heard the other man mumble something about 'double the risk' and 'extra careful'. "What are those, Tro?"

"Applications for housing and some flyers for various flats around town," the green eyed man said lightly, waving it off as he snatched Duo's drink and took a swig. "I figured it would be easiest to just grab some while you guys were in with the Doc and then we could go check out the ones Heero likes…"

"Thank you, Trowa," the Japanese man offered with a grateful smile, decidedly shocked that the other former pilot had gone out of his way to do Heero's errands for him. "Were there any you liked better?"

"There's a flyer and application in there for the building I live in," the auburn haired man nodded. "It's a nice place. Decent rent. Allows cats and small dogs. Each flat has all the basic amenities. And it's close to everything."

"Sounds great, why don't we go check that one out first?" Heero suggested, standing and offering his hand to the braided man. A slight blush colored Duo's cheeks as he allowed Heero to help him stand, gracing the art historian with a small smile and a mouthed 'thank you'.

"Shall we then?" Trowa asked, eyes flashing slightly, but it could have been a trick of the mid-morning light.

---

In the end, Heero choose to let a flat in the same building as Trowa, selecting one of the top floor lofts for its openness and light. The exposed brick walls lined with broad sweeping windows and a personal balcony made the place ideal at roughly 638 euros a month with the option to lease to own.

Before the morning was out, he'd signed the lease and already had the keys to his new home.

"I'll probably have to head back to the States for a few days to oversee the packing of my house and quit my job…" Heero mentioned as they returned to the house. He didn't want to leave, not when things required such care and delicacy; but if he were going to continue with the course, his next plausible action would to be moving fully. Going and returning would prove that his words weren't hollow and that he wasn't going to run off and never come back.

Trowa had left, making his excuses and leaving the two of them alone in the empty house. Hilde had left a note saying she'd taken Pádraic to Cillian's to have his hair trimmed and that they'd be back late and would probably eat out.

"I don't think it will take longer than a couple weeks… tops."

The braided man nodded before shaking his head with an amused smile. "It's hard to believe you're here… even harder still to believe you just leased a flat down town and will be within driving distance."

"I'm going to be here, Duo," Heero told him softly, stepping close and invading the artist's space. Carefully, tentatively, the Japanese man reached up, brushing a thumb along the soft cheek before him. "I'm going to be here, for them and for you… in whatever capacity you'll have me, but I am going to be here."

-

-  
TBC

-

-

Enunciation:  
Lise - said like lease  
Cillian - KILL-ee-an

Footnotes:  
[1] Not necessarily true to present, but this is A.C. 203. The city info is true.

Cookies to people who get my random references. I hope I did a decent job of explaining things... .


	7. Chapter 7

Title: A Walk In The Irish Rain  
Author: Shi-chan  
Archive: (Willow), (Katerina Shinigami)  
Rating: PG-13  
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing does not belong to me. However the original characters within this work of fiction, as well as the plot and premise, do.  
Warnings: dialect driven characters, virile parturiency  
Thanks: Thanks goes to SkyLark for badgering and supporting me through this chapter. It's entirely her fault!

Additional thanks: I want to thank everyone who is reading whether you have reviewed, selected chapter alert, favourited this fic or otherwise: THANK YOU FOR READING! I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

Summary: After the Wars ended, Heero Yuy set out on his own to acclimate himself to civilian life. What he forgot about acclimation is to include his friends in the process. Now he has returned to them, wanting to take up those friendships once more. However, life goes on... and sometimes the direction it takes is not what one would have imagined.

NOTE: In the first chapter I said it was Late September, that is wrong. I miscalculated what I was doing -- the timeframe is actually Late November. Sorry for any confusion.

Feedback: Let me know what you think?

_"Forever more I've stepped ashore  
My sailing days are over, oh  
Through time and tide and by your side  
Together we'll grow old."_  
-- A Walk in the Irish Rain (folk song)

A Walk in the Irish Rain  
Chapter 7  
by Shi-chan

Rathfarnham,  
County of South Dublin,  
Republic of Ireland,  
ESUN  
A.C. 203

"TWINS?!" Hilde's eyes were so wide Heero feared they would pop out of her head if she weren't careful.

"Twins," Duo repeated, shifting Pádraic on his lap. The curious three-year-old had his hands on the gentle swell of his daddy's belly, wider blue eyes shifting between the adults as they spoke.

"Twins!?" she repeated dubiously, receiving an affirmative nod. "Oh… my… god," she whispered and for a moment Heero thought she might faint she was so still, eyes wide and skin seeming to drain of what little color the girl possessed. "Oh my god!" She cried before bursting into motion, slinging her arms around Heero's shoulders and pulling him into an excited spin.

As abruptly as she had pounced him, the dark haired woman let go, almost toppling him into the shelving that separated the dining area and the sitting room. In a split second she had rounded on the braided man, plucking Pádraic from his lap and handing the poor confused child off to his father.

"He's too heavy for you to be holding him and you know it!" she sniped, hands on her hips in full mother-hen mode. "Oh my god, I can't believe you're having twins! Does Trowa know? No wait of course he does he went with you—" Heero continued to watch the near-comic episode as her rant was interrupted by the shaking of the braided artist's head. "He doesn't?! DUO!"

"We got distracted finding Heero a place to live and I just forgot, okay?" The pregnant man defended, arms crossed loosely over his belly. "I've had a stressful day, Hil, just leave off."

Hilde made to open her mouth and continue before Heero stepped in, Pádraic settled on his hip and watching his aunt fuss at his daddy with wide worried eyes. "I think that's enough for now, Hilde," the Asian man said, cutting her off. "Duo's been on his feet a lot today and it's getting time for he and Pádraic to take their naps…"

Duo shot him a relieved look, mouthing his thanks before standing, using the kitchen table as a lever to help him rise.

"Hilde?" Heero paused at the door, his son on one arm and the other resting gently against Duo's lower back. "Will you make us some tea?"

---

"Go lay down," the Asian man said gently, nudging Duo in the direction of his own room. "I'll put Pádraic down and come see if you need anything."

"Thanks, Heero," the braided man said softly, giving the other a tired smile.

"You're welcome, Duo," Heero replied, receiving another small smile in return as the metalsmith disappeared off into the bedroom, socked feet nearly silent as they moved across wood and carpet. The former Wing pilot remained in the hall until he heard the tell-tale creak of springs, only then making his way to their son's room.

"Alright," he said, setting the child upon the bed. "Nap time." The child pouted, staring up at him with eyes that reminded Heero unduly of the boy's daddy. "Not going to work on me. Besides, the sooner you lie down and nap the sooner you can get back up and play. Right?"

The boy nodded his blond head, big blue eyes smiling up at the Japanese man guilelessly. Silent lips curled in a smile that split the little boy's face as Pádraic raised his arms, fingers flexing in an unspoken request for a hug.

Smiling himself, Heero lent down, giving the child a squeeze and dropping a kiss on the boy's forehead. "Sleep tight," he told the child softly, pulling the door most of the way closed.

---

Duo's breathing was even and steady when Heero checked in on him on his way to the kitchen. It almost worried him that the braided man was so worn out by the short time they spent out, but he reminded himself of Duo's condition and the stress the day's events likely had on the expectant man. It amazed him, the willingness of the former Deathscythe pilot to carry such a burden for the sake of family. The strength such dedication required of one not normally born to such a task astounded him even more.

Hilde offered him a cup as he entered the kitchen, silent for a moment, as if the tension would snap back and lash her were she to speak. When she did her voice was like scalding water, bubbling in angry heat. "How dare you just come waltzing in here after five years – five years Heero! You've been here three days and you're slinging around orders like you know all that's gone on and goes on in this house! What gives you the right—"

"I intend to be there for him," the Japanese man interrupted, setting his cup on the counter where he stood. "He's consented and agreed to allow me to explore the possibility of a deeper relationship with himself and our children."

His diction seemed to rouse her ire further. "You are one cold fish, Heero Yuy! 'Explore the possibility of a deeper—'!" She cut herself off, dropping her voice low. "Why don't you just say you intend to dangle the proverbial carrot in front of the damned staving horse with no intention of ever letting the poor thing have more than a sniff!? Do you even like boys, Heero? Do you look at them and get hot? Does he affect you in any way? Can a cold bastard like you even begin to understand what you're playing with here?"

"I care for him—" Heero began, only to be cut off.

"The fuck you do, Yuy! You can't claim to care for someone when you barely talked to them for five years!" Her face was flushed with her anger as she practically roared, only keeping her voice down because Duo and Pádraic were napping.

She took a moment to pause, inhaling deeply before letting it out, leveling herself even as she glared at the Japanese former pilot. When she proceeded to speak, her voice was steadier, calmer. "You think being here three days, getting a glimpse of his life, gives you the knowledge and the power to just come in here and take charge. Well, let me tell you, buster. Doesn't work that way."

"I know that. I have no rights as far as he's concerned, not until he gives them to me; but I really do care for him," he told her softly as she calmed herself. "I care for him and I want to get to know him; watch our children grow up; be a part of their lives. And I'm willing to do anything to be there for them – all of them." Heero gave her a small smile. "I know you don't trust me. I sure as hell wouldn't trust me if I were you."

"Got that right," she snorted rudely, anger melting away.

"I don't know if I love him, Hilde. It's a bit early for that; but I want to give it a chance. I pushed him away for years. I was trained to," He took a deep breath, relaxing himself and offering a gentle smile. "But I was always glad when he didn't go. When no matter how much I growled and grumped and ignored him, he stayed. I can see now that I was happy to have him as a friend – that he was my best friend – when I finally managed to acknowledge it. He's given me so much, things I never realized he'd given me.

"So while I don't know if I love him yet. I'm willing to try… He deserves whatever is in my power to give him – and I intend to see to it he gets it."

"Don't play with him, Heero," the dark haired woman warned wearily, letting the Japanese man see how much the worry wore on her. "You play with his heart – you make him fall deeper in love with you – then decide you can't give him what he needs and I swear…" She left the threat hanging, this time, letting him come up with his own ideas of what she'd do to him.

"I have no intention of playing with him. I intend to be exceptionally forthright in how I feel and not let him be led on if, for any reason, I suspect my inability to accede to his wishes," Heero pledged formally, bowing deeply. "I only wish to give him the support he needs, he deserves."

The plains of her face softened as she relaxed and smiled, placated for the time being. "I think you're well on your way already."

---

"Would you like to go out this evening?" Heero asked, leaning against the doorjamb.

The braided artist was sitting up in bed, hand-made afghan pooled in his lap as he worked on a wax. The specially designed tools danced across the mottled red and brown surface, removing bits here and there and dropping them down to catch on the tray beneath. The piece looked to be in the early stages of creation, a vague shape beginning to form but otherwise ambiguous.

"I'd like that," the braided artist replied with a smile, wiping the tool and placing it back amongst its fellows before selecting another. "When would you like to head out?"

A quick glance at the clock informed the Japanese man of the hour, just a few minutes after four. "Why don't we shoot to leave around five? You choose where we eat. My treat."

---

Five o'clock found Heero assisting the braided man in climbing into the passenger seat of Duo's small black car. They'd decided to drive in order to avoid questioning stares they were guaranteed to receive were they to take public transportation -- as well as to avoid making the pregnant man walk all over the place.

Sliding in himself, the art historian checked all the mirrors and double-checked the safety belts before turning, one hand on the passenger side headrest. "You look really nice tonight," he told the other, giving the braided artist a smile.

Duo had practically poured himself into a pair of jeans; the soft elastic front hidden by his long plaid button down he wore. His chestnut hair was braided loosely, wispy tendrils floating about the elfin face in defiance of gravity. Yes, Heero thought, Duo looked very nice indeed, especially when his cheeks colored in a rosy blush as they were doing.

It was rather amazing to Heero, the things he noticed about his friend now that he was directing his attention toward him.

"Thank you," the artist replied, smoothing his shirt and adjusting the seatbelt to a more comfortable position.

"You're very welcome," Heero replied with a gentle smile. "Where to?" He asked, still smiling even as he turned his eyes to the road. The shy almost awkward smile the braided man had replied with made him warm even as he turned the ignition, shifting the now idling car into gear.

"I was thinking Cornucopia sounded good tonight," Duo offered, rattling off the address for Heero to insert into the GPS. "They have the widest range of choices of anything in town…"

"Sounds good to me," the art historian agreed.

---

Perhaps it was the exotic lettering of the sign, but the Asian man had expected more of an Near Eastern style place with white tablecloths and water goblets and flickering oil candles… What he found was a cafeteria-line style eatery with rail benches and scattered café tables of vibrant colors. The walls were lined with what looked to be local artist's paintings, names and purchasing price dropped on a small card to the right of the work along with a claim space.

"Duo!" the guy behind the counter called out cheerfully in greeting, his accent North American but otherwise unplacable. "Well look'it what the cat dragged in!"

"Hey Nate, how's it hanging?" The brunet chuckled as they sidled their way up to the little ledge.

The sandy haired man paused, looking down before leveling them with a grin. "A little to the left, yourself? Ooh, who's your stud?" Quickly wiping his hand on a bar towel, the man, Nate, reached over the glass enclosure, hand out in ofference. "Nathan, I run this shabby excuse for a food joint."

Heero smirked, grasping the hand in a firm grip. "Heero," he answered, releasing the hand and dropping his own to rest at the small of Duo's back.

"Yeah?" Dusky blue eyes titled in a way Heero couldn't find words to describe, one eyebrow going up ever so slightly as the other dipped just so as if he found something curious and was trying to look surprised and befuddled and at the same time smirking at it.

"Well, don't that beat all," the man murmured in amusement, his expression turned into a full on lopsided grin. "Got yourself a hero have you, Duo? Bonafied?" He didn't wait for an answer, like a faulty switchboard taking a breath that seemed to start be the first syllable of his next word. "Should come 'round more often," the man cajoled. "Summer and Alan been missin' ya lots. No one to get into trouble with. Jewel, too; dropped in last week and complained she didn't like having to replace you. I'm thinkin' she don't much like the beginner class. 'Course Adam's been 'round…"

The braided man rolled his eyes even as a stony faced female of mixed heritage stepped up to tap the conversational man on the shoulder. "Sir, you're holding up the line," she informed him in a deadpan, despite the lack of customers. "How 'bout you go play nice behind the cash register while I get these gentlemen some food. Boy needs off his feet and if I have a guess, you'll talk him til he drops 'fore he'll say anything."

A small startled expression flittered across the proprietor's face before he bustled. "Shit, I forgot! I'm sorry, Duo! Look, dinner's on me. Here I am yacking your ear off when you should be feedin' that kid."

"Kids," the braided man grinned, lightly caressing the bulge with pride. "We're going to have twins…"

"We?" The sandy haired man asked, blinking. Heero was sure his thoughts were along the lines of 'and I wasn't told, why?' The man seemed like someone Duo confided in… They were friendly enough. Nate seemed to have a natural concern for the braided artist, like an older brother.

Heero slipped his hand into the braided man's, smiling gently as Nathan continued to sputter. "Twins?"

A small, bright laugh erupted from Duo's lips as he nodded, all but glowing with happiness. "Yep, we just found out today."

"You're doing it again, Nathan. Here you go that way and congratulate them later," the woman offered, smiling softly as she ushered her boss off toward the cash register. "Why don't you go sit down and I'll bring you today's menu and some water so you don't have to keep standing while Nathan talks 'til he's blue in the face."

"Thanks, Gina," the braided man smiled, leading them over to a small booth. The woman proceeded to shoo the sandy haired man toward the cash register -- pointedly informing him that he could congratulate them after they had their food if he so wished -- before stepping around the counter with a couple menus and two turquoise melmac tumblers.

"I'm Gina, by the way," the café-au-lait skinned woman said by way of introduction, setting the cups on the table and handing each of them a hand written tablet menu proclaiming 'Today's Fare' in bright chalk letters.

"Thanks," the Asian man mumbled. "Heero."

"I kinda figured," Gina smirked. "He's sung your praises often enough."

"Gina!" Duo flushed, grumping at her. "You make it sound like I made gooey eyes and talked about 'how dreamy' he is or something equally schoolgirl."

"Close enough," the woman delivered cryptically. "You going to order or starve those babies some more?"

Amethyst eyes quickly glanced at the menu even as the braided man sighed dramatically, as if acceding to her was deeply trying. "If I must," he drawled in mock-exasperation. "Can I have the baked Portobello mushrooms on leek mash with onion gravy and a fresh fruit salad?"

"What're you asking me for?" She teased, scribbling it on her pad. "And for you?"

Heero frowned. The food was decidedly… unusual. Definitely not his typical fare, but looked interesting nonetheless. "Um… I think I'll try the…" he looked for something… 'safe'. "Quiche and a sprouted bean salad."

"First timer," he heard Gina mumble even as she smiled and promise their food would be right out.

---

"Maxwell! You should be home, resting!" Came the near thunderous bellow followed by the clop-clop of angry feet. "Yuy, what do you think you're doing -- dragging him out to Dublin City in his condition!?"

The braided man leveled a glare at their Chinese friend, even as his wife opened her mouth to intervene. "I am not some weak and will-less simpleton so heavy with child that I can't manage an evening out once in a blue moon. Nor am I some simpering fool that needs everyone to cater to them," Duo hissed, face scrunched in irritation. "Do not treat me like one."

Gobsmacked, Wufei stumbled back and would have tripped if Sally had not stood behind him, keeping him righted. "I—" His mouth worked like a fish, opening and closing with an audible hollow sound.

Heero found himself having a hard time keeping from laughing out loud at the expressions warring for dominance before settling in an almost blank if a it contrite expression.

"My sincerest apologies," the Asian Preventer pronounced formally, bowing deeply from the waist. "It was not my intention to imply you were in any way weak or incapable of caring for yourself. You are my brother, in heart if not blood, and I am concerned for your well-being and the well-being of the children you carry."

The artist's eyes softened, although his face remained hard. "You should be apologizing to Heero as well," he informed the contrite man pointedly. It seemed to Heero that this was a common, the formal exchange to alleviate insult. "You impugn his honor and intelligence as well with your words."

Wufei nodded, near-black eyes turning to lock with ocean deep blue. "Forgive me, Yuy. My words were rash and without thought to the insult they bore. Duo is his own person and capable of caring for himself, making his own decisions. My over-protectiveness tends to override my thought-to-mouth filters – something which I am working on. Please, accept my apologies and forgive my impulsive actions."

Briefly glancing over to meet Duo's eyes, Heero nodded. "There is nothing to forgive," the historian offered kindly, smiling at the chagrined man. "I can't say I wouldn't have done or said the same things were I in your position."

"Are you boys plenty through with the formal apologies?" Sally cut in, hands on her husband's shoulders, steering him toward the counter. "Because I'm damned hungry and would kind of like to eat before next century. Save us a seat, will you? We'll be right back."

So much for their first date, the Japanese man thought, refraining from sighing at his loss. "Guess it's a double date now," the messy haired man chuckled dryly, tilting his head slightly and offering Duo a small smile. The braided man's rejoinder was an amused if resigned smile.

---

Wufei was relating a story about their latest case, stabbing his Spanokopita a bit forcefully as he spoke. His irritation at the way the case was heading was obvious, even as he split his attention between his story and suspiciously glancing in Heero's direction. The dark eyes flit between the Japanese man and their braided companion, watching each interaction even as he spoke of mundane paperwork and stupid people trying to manufacture black market weapons under ESUN restrictions.

The Dragon was on guard.

"Would you like a bite of mine?" Heero offered, pointedly ignoring the practically vibrating man as he held out a forkful to the braided man. He couldn't blame Wufei for being protective. There was a fragileness about pregnancy which stirred instinct; no matter that the person in question was Duo Maxwell, street rat extraordinaire.

Glittering violet eyes danced in thanks as the braided man accepted the fork, slipping his full pink lips around the morsel, enveloping it before closing around the silverware all the while smiling. That was another thing that had always been associated with Duo: flirtatiousness.

Certainly, Heero'd always noticed it: Duo was tactile and open with his flirting, seeming to flirt with anything if it amused him. Yet, noticing it and giving attention to it were two different things.

Now, though, Duo had his full attention. So distracted by his flirtatious date was he that Heero missed the whole conversation and, indeed, most of dinner; surfacing only when Chang cleared his throat impatiently.

"What?" the Japanese man nearly snapped, refocusing his attention on their guests.

"Duo was telling us that you'll be leaving tomorrow to go back to the States," the stern looking man was saying, his expression suggesting that he was having to repeat himself and did not appreciate the need to.

Heero wondered if Wufei was more worried that Heero would run and not return, once again abandoning his friends and now his children. "Yes, I intend to settle my affairs and return as quickly as possible," he replied, casting a soft smile in the braided man's direction. "I want to be here each leg of the way."

TBC


End file.
